Published- Post cervical spine surgery hyperpyrexia (108°F) in a patient with COVID-19: a case report
Spine surgery, COVID-19 and hyperpyrexia
Abstract
Perioperative hyperpyrexia raises many questions and can cause permanent brain damage if left untreated. Malignant hyperthermia (MH), although uncommon, but sporadic cases continue to happen and it is potentially life-threatening. It is characterized by sudden rise of body temperatures to above 106° F or even more, and hypercapnia. It is usually associated with anesthetic exposure. However, not every hyperpyrexia is MH; a clinical examination, risk stratification, scoring, and logical approach are required to exclude MH in the postoperative patient. We present a case of rare postoperative hyperpyrexia caused by COVID-19. The patient underwent uneventful spine surgery under general anesthesia and developed hyperpyrexia on the first postoperative day. The case highlights the importance of a logical and systematic approach for excluding the causes of postoperative hyperpyrexia and aggressive management.
Abbreviations: CCU - Critical Care Unit; FiO2 - Inspired fraction of oxygen; GA - General anesthesia; MH - Malignant hyperthermia; PCR - Polymerase chain reaction
Key words: Hyperpyrexia; Malignant Hyperthermia; COVID-19; Spine Surgery
Citation: Cherunghattil N, Panda CK, Karim HMR, Dhawan M. Post cervical spine surgery hyperpyrexia (108°F) in a patient with COVID-19: a case report. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2023;27(2):276−279; DOI: 10.35975/apic.v27i2.2045
Received: October 31, 2022; Reviewed: February 06, 2023; Accepted: February 15, 2023
