Intraoperative Bronchospasm under Spinal Analgesia

The involvement of respiratory system occurs mainly as a result of a high spinal block. Our case describes the unusual effect of mid-spinal analgesia. We encountered bronchospasm in an otherwise healthy patient undergoing inguinal hernia repair under subarachnoid block. The highest level of block was T6. The anxiety of the patient further aggravated the symptoms. This is probably the first reported incident of bronchospasm as a result of spinal anesthesia. We speculate the role of unblocked parasympathetic system in the causation of this respiratory complication.