Ropivacaine-induced cardiac arrest after peripheral nerve block: successful resuscitation.

ROPIVACAINE is an amide local anesthetic with a long duration of action that was developed because of the high risk of cardiac complications induced by bupivacaine. Preclinical studies have confirmed its reduced systemic and cardiac toxicity as compared with bupivacaine, and clinical studies have also been very reassuring regarding the risk of ropivacaine-induced systemic toxicity. There have, however, been several case reports in which significant cardiac side effects have occurred, but in none of them did the cardiac abnormalities progress to cardiac arrest or death. We report a clinical case in which cardiac arrest occurred, after neurologic complications, during lower limb regional anesthesia using ropivacaine, but resuscitation was successful.