Research Information System
EUROANESTHESIA2024 (ESAIC2024), Munich, Almanya, 25 - 27 Mayıs 2024, Munich, Germany, 25 - 27 May 2024
the importance of applying a “management algorithm for complications” to improve communication between team members for patient safety: a case report
B.N. Evliya Felek1, F.N. Duruk Erkent1, M. Ozcelik1 1Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turkey
Background: Scalp block is a method aimed at reducing morbid ity, employed to attenuate hemodynamic response, incisional pain across various indications particularly during craniotomy proce dures. The present case aims to highlight an unnecessary radiologic ex amination as a result of an inadequate communication between team members. Case Report: A 48-year-old female patient with no comorbidities was scheduled for intracranial meningioma excision. After induc tion of general anesthesia, a total of 75 mg 0.5% bupivacaine was applied to appropriate anatomical points for scalp block. After an uneventful post anaesthesia recovery, her neurologic ex amination revealed no abnormal finding. However, after transfer to the ICU, she was diagnosed with right peripheral facial nerve paralysis. Subsequent radiologic imaging (CT and MRI) revealed no ad ditional intracranial pathology. The anaesthesia team members were informed after all these interventions. The anesthesiologists highly suspected from auriculotemporal nerve paralysis as a com plication of scalp block. Notably, the patient’s complaints completely resolved eight hours after the block application. Discussion: Complications linked to scalp block include facial paralysis may ensue due to nerve involvement, contingent upon factors drug concentration, volume, and application depth. Mc Nicholas et al.’s patient series reported a 8.6% incidence of fa cial nerve paralysis following auriculotemporal nerve block. Typi cally, the effects of the administered drugs dissipate within 24 hours(1). The lack of communication between surgeons and anaesthesi ologists regarding the scalp block complications may result in un necessary patient imaging, distress among the patient’s relatives, and decrease manpower among healthcare professionals. Therefore, it is imperative to use management algorithm for com plications after surgery to decrease inaccurate decisions