Use of epidural blockade in a patient with hip fracture and aortic stenosis.

EDITOR: Patients with hip fracture are often frail and elderly, and co-morbidities are frequently present. The following case describes perioperative use of continuous epidural blockade in a patient with hip fracture and a severe aortic stenosis. This has not been reported before. There is no evidence favouring general anaesthesia to neuroaxial blockade in patients with aortic stenosis. Several case reports have shown that the use of epidural blockade for Caesarean section, labour and delivery in patients with aortic stenosis is safe [1–3]. A recently published article discussed the possibilities for using neuroaxial blockade in patients with aortic stenosis [4].