Placental abruption occurring soon after labor combined spinal-epidural analgesia.

F Jaime, J Degani, N Lam, G Allen

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.

International journal of obstetric anesthesia 2012 Oct

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We present a case of placental abruption necessitating emergency cesarean section in an otherwise uncomplicated patient soon after initiation of combined spinal-epidural analgesia in labor. Administration of spinal opioids has the potential to cause fetal bradycardia due to uterine hypertonicity following rapid onset of analgesia. In this case, a previously bloody show before placement of combined spinal-epidural analgesia may have been evidence of a small abruption. We hypothesize that uterine hypertonicity following administration of spinal opioids may have hastened the development of an existing placental abruption. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

F Jaime, J Degani, N Lam, G Allen. Placental abruption occurring soon after labor combined spinal-epidural analgesia. International journal of obstetric anesthesia. 2012 Oct;21(4):376-9