Intraoperative crises

Malignant hyperthermia, anaphylaxis, bronchospasm, hypotension, hypoxaemia, aspiration and local anaesthetic toxicity.

8 pages

• Anaphylaxis under anaesthesiaA severe, sudden allergic reaction during surgery, often to a drug given at induction, that…
• Bronchospasm and laryngospasmTwo airway emergencies under anaesthesia: the small airways clamp down (bronchospasm) or the…
• High or total spinal blockSometimes the numbing medicine of a spinal or epidural spreads too high and weakens the…
• Intraoperative hypotensionLow blood pressure during an operation; it is common, usually treatable, and sometimes the first…
• Intraoperative hypoxaemia: a stepwise approachWhen the oxygen level in the blood falls during surgery, the team checks everything from the…
• Malignant hyperthermiaA rare inherited muscle reaction to some anaesthetic gases and one relaxant that makes the body…
• Massive haemorrhage in theatreWhen a patient bleeds heavily during surgery, the team stops the bleeding, replaces blood with…
• Pulmonary aspirationStomach contents can flow back up and into the lungs while a patient is anaesthetised; acid and…

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← Anaesthesia and critical care

Educational content; it does not replace supervised training, your institution's protocols or the anaesthetist's or intensivist's decision. It contains no doses and no ventilator or infusion settings.

Representative model, for educational purposes only.