DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2017.v05i02.016

Pages: 119-122

A 49-year-old man without a specific past medical history underwent tympanoplasty under general anesthesia due to chronic otitis media. After uneventfully awakening from general anesthesia, the patient was delivered to post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Ten minutes after arrival at the PACU, he became unresponsive to stimulation. Neurological examination revealed lack of awareness, verbal output, and pain response. After 20 minutes, the patient suddenly responded to pain and recovered consciousness. No neurological deficits were found. He was clinically diagnosed with an atypical absence seizure. Unlike grand-mal seizures, it is generally difficult to detect an absence seizure without a careful observation. Through this case report, we want to highlight the importance of careful monitoring of patients in the PACU. If symptoms develop, the patient should be protected from secondary damage due to external impact, treated to maintain spontaneous breathing, and consulted to a neurologist for further evaluations.