[Anesthetic management of an emergency surgery for panperitonitis during an asthmatic attack]

We report anesthetic management of an emergency surgery for panperitonitis during an asthmatic attack in a patient with angina pectoris. A 71-year-old male patient, complaining of abdominal pain and dyspnea, was diagnosed as having panperitonitis and asthmatic attack by surgeons in the emergency room. General anesthesia was induced by intravenous injection of propofol (30 mg), ketamine (30 mg), fentanyl (200 micrograms), suxamethonium (60 mg) and diltiazem (5 mg) following cannulation of the left radial artery for continuous monitoring of direct arterial pressure. Anesthesia was maintained by continuous infusion of propofol (4-10 mg.kg-1.h-1) and ketamine (1 mg.kg-1.h-1) in combination with intermittent epidural injection of local anesthetics. Although sudden onset of increased peak airway pressure occurred 45 minutes after starting operation, 50 mg of propofol injection and 500 mg of aminophyline infusion could relieve this high airway pressure. Because increased peak airway pressure appeared frequently and this could not be relieved by bolus injection of propofol, we changed the intravenous anesthesia to nitrous oxide-oxygen-isoflurane (GOI). After this change, no asthmatic attack occurred during the operation. While the mechanical ventilation was required during the early postoperative period along with infusion of aminophyline and inhalation of beta-stimulants, the patient was weaned successfully from the mechanical ventilation 12 hours postoperatively. It was speculated that the intraoperative asthmatic attack might have been caused by light level of anesthesia with propofol and ketamine. We concluded that other analgesics, such as fentanyl or epidural local anesthetics, must have been supplemented at proper timing during the continuous infusion of propofol and ketamine during the surgery.