The neurologist 2012-07-01

Postoperative global amnesia reversed with flumazenil.

Joseph B Rinehart, Brandee Baker, Darren Raphael

Index: Neurologist 18(4) , 216-8, (2012)

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Abstract

Global postoperative amnesia (profound anterograde and retrograde amnesia) is rare and usually attributed to transient global amnesia-a poorly understood condition with no broadly accepted mechanism. We report an incident of probable transient global amnesia in a patient after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram under general anesthesia, which was successfully treated with flumazenil. On the basis of the results of flumazenil administration in this and a previous case report, we would recommend a trial dose of 0.2 mg for cases of global postoperative amnesia, repeated if the first dose seems effective.