Anesthesia and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

Abstract

Hamonet C, Bahloul H and Ducret L

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is not or poorly known to doctors, anesthetists and surgeons. This lack of knowledge exposes patients to therapeutic accidents that can be prevented. This inherited connective tissue disease, which combines tissue fragility with a major proprioception disorder, causes very paradoxical reactions with local anesthetics such as xylocaine. Very often, it is ineffective as anesthetic while it sometimes has a spectacular and immediate effect on chronic pain and proprioceptive disorders. Hemorrhagic risk in this disease is considerable and underestimated imposing caution in the way such patients are treated. Lack of protection of peripheral nerves and hypermobility increase risks in positional paralysis thus necessitating positioning precautions during anesthesia.

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