[Unsuccessful anesthetic management for cesarean section in a patient with primary pulmonary hypertension]

A 31-year-old woman with primary pulmonary hypertension presented for an elective cesarean section at the 34-week gestation. After monitoring pulmonary artery, systemic artery blood pressures and an electrocardiogram, continuous lumbar epidural anesthesia was performed. Uneventful delivery was followed by a sudden decrease in systemic pressure and loss of consciousness. Her trachea was intubated and administration of epinephrine was started. Nitroprusside and milrinone were infused to decrease pulmonary artery pressure and to maintain systemic arterial pressure. However, she died after 16 hours due to an impairment of right ventricular function. Although the patient with PPH had been managed successfully using continuous epidural analgesia until delivery, sudden hemodynamic alterations following delivery could not be controlled by pharmacological interventions.