Catatonia associated with prolonged stupor after general anesthesia in a patient with multiple neuropsychiatric disorders - a case report.

BACKGROUND: Delayed emergence after general anesthesia may indicate a significant impact on the patient's condition. We present a case of a patient who experienced delayed recovery of consciousness, language, and motor response due to catatonia after more than eight hours of total elbow arthroplasty under general anesthesia.

CASE: A 68-year-old woman with neuropsychiatric disorders and Parkinson's disease did not respond adequately during recovery after more than eight hours of general anesthesia. Following the operation, the patient was in a semi-comatose state and appeared to have nonconvulsive status epilepticus upon awakening from anesthesia. However, subsequent examinations did not reveal any organic causes. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with catatonia, treated, and discharged following gradual improvement.

CONCLUSION: Although rare, patients who have been taking psychiatric drugs for an extended period may experience delayed emergence after prolonged general anesthesia without identifiable causes. Catatonia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of such patients.