A Case of Local Anesthetics-Induced Toxicity after Transversus Abdominis Plane Block

Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block is an effective method of providing postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing cesarean delivery. We report a patient who developed local anesthetics-induced toxicity after TAP block. A 20-year-old woman was scheduled for cesarean delivery and admitted one day before surgery. Cesarean delivery was performed under spinal anesthesia and TAP block (1% lidocaine 20 ml, 0.75% ropivacaine 20 ml) was done after the surgery. 30 minutes after TAP block, she complained of dizziness, visual disturbance and dysarthria at the obstetric ward. We diagnosed local anesthetics-induced toxicity. As she received 500 ml of colloid infusion, her symptoms were diminished 3 hours after TAP block. TAP block can induce local anesthetics-induced toxicity, especially when administered after surgery. Local anesthetics-induced toxicity may be dangerous after cesarean delivery because of the difficulty of distinguishing it from eclampsia.