An Unusual Case of Post-Operative Nausea,Vomiting and Neck Pain
ABSTRACT
A case is described of subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by vertebral artery dissection following general anaesthesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is postulated that the dissection may have been a result of neck manipulation during intubation or other movements whilst paralysed, or alternatively, due to intra-operative blood pressure changes occurring in a patient with a predisposition to arterial disruption. The case highlights the important symptom of neck pain in a patient with an intra-cranial catastrophe. Fortunately, despite a dramatic clinical presentation her recovery has been good. (Critical Care and Resuscitation 1999; 1: 288-290)
Key words:
Vertebral artery dissection, postoperative nausea, subarachnoid haemorrhage
