Abstract
A 74-year-old man suffering from lung cancer consulted our clinic for pain in the left side of his chest. We performed neurolytic thoracic nerve blocks using 10% phenol in water for pain management. As soon as we started to inject the phenol solution into the third thoracic nerve, the patient suddenly cried out and lost consciousness. Breathing stopped, and multifocal premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) were seen on the patient's ECG. The patient's blood pressure rose to 190mmHg, and his heart rate rose to 160 beats·min-1. His breathing recovered two minutes later, and he regained consciousness ten minutes later. When performing neurolytic thoracic nerve blocks, it is important to ascertain that the needle is not in a vessel. Quick treatment is necessary if toxicity is encountered.
