Low dose combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia for caesarean section in a patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy.

A patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy was scheduled for elective caesarean section after stabilization on medical therapy. Wer performed a combined spinal epidural using one ml 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine (5 mg) with 0.3 mg diamorphine for the spinal. The epidural was topped up with 10 mL bupivacaine 0.5%. Significant haemodynamic changes consisted of reduction in heart rate and hypotension after the spinal, and tachycardia after delivery. The benefits and risks of this approach are discussed.