Asystole Following Jaw Thrust Maneuver: A Case Report

The jaw thrust maneuver is a fundamental airway management tool to prevent the tongue from obstructing the upper airway in unconscious patients. Known complications of the jaw thrust maneuver include spinal cord injury if the cervical spine is unstable and exacerbation of an existing mandibular injury. However, this procedure is frequently associated with pain, and the associated consequences, especially the parasympathetic response, are rarely seen or discussed. We report a rare complication of a 38-year-old healthy female emerging from general anesthesia who developed transient but severe bradycardia leading to asystole following a jaw thrust maneuver. We conclude that the bradycardia and asystole resulted from the vagal response to the pain induced by the jaw thrust.