Abstract
Introduction
Pneumocephalus is a rare neuraxial blockade complication, which can be associated with severe neurologic changes.
Clinical case
A 51-year-old patient was submitted to left total knee arthroplasty. Postoperatively, a pneumocephalus associated with decreased consciousness was diagnosed as a complication of the epidural analgesia. The treatment used was Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) due to the severity of symptoms. Just after one session of HBOT, there was nearly full pneumocephalus resorption and significant clinical recovery.
Conclusion
This case report enables anesthesiologists to recognize HBOT as a therapeutic option to be considered when treating severe cases of pneumocephalus.
KEYWORDS
Epidural analgesia; Pneumocephalus; Hyperbaric oxygen therapy; Clinical case
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