Respiratory roller coaster ride following ambulatory surgery in a young woman: a case report

Abstract Introduction Ambulatory surgery has the advantages of shortening the waiting time for hospitalization and reducing medical expenses. It has been more and more widely used in recent years in China. The patients admitted in Ambulatory Surgery Center are generally in good condition (ASA I-II), with clear diagnosis, short operation time, low operation risk and low incidence of postoperative complications. It is easy to paralyze the medical staff, neglecting the importance of preoperative preparation, and then causing physical and psychological damage to the patient. Presentation of case We describe the case of a 21-year-old woman, presented with erratic respiratory rate with a maximum of 40 breaths min-1 and a minimum of 7 breaths min-1 after undergoing arthroscopic meniscectomy. The arterial blood gas analysis revealed a disruption of the acid-base homeostasis with respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis, while all other examinations were normal. Discussion Drug-related adverse reactions, emergence agitation or psychiatric factors may have caused the observed symptoms. Conclusion Our observations demonstrate that more extensive clinical and psychological examinations prior to surgery involving general anesthesia may help in avoiding anesthesia-related complications, even in young individuals from the Ambulatory Surgery Center.