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Rationale for spinal anesthesia.

Spinal anesthesia is probably the most widely used form of regional anesthesia today. A number of clinical studies suggest that spinal anesthesia may be superior to general or epidural anesthesia for certain patients and for certain surgical procedures. The endocrine-metabolic response to surgery appears to be blunted when spinal anesthesia is employed compared to the response during general anesthesia. Blood loss and thromboembolic complications are also reduced when spinal anesthesia is used, particularly for major lower limb orthopedic procedures. Although long-term survival is not affected by the anesthetic technique employed, short-term mortality may be decreased in elderly patients having major orthopedic surgery under spinal anesthesia. Compared to epidural blockade, spinal anesthesia provides a more rapid onset, a more predictable level of analgesia, and a more profound degree of surgical anesthesia. On the other hand, spinal anesthesia is associated with a greater degree of hypotension compared to epidural anesthesia. The results of these various investigations show that a scientific rationale exists for the continued use of spinal anesthesia.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗

New developments in spinal anesthesia.

Spinal anesthesia can be used effectively and efficiently for a variety of cases in both the inpatient and the ambulatory surgery setting. Choice of agent, dose, distribution, use of adjuncts, and occasionally the use of continuous spinal anesthesia can tailor the spinal anesthetic to a specific type and duration of surgery. Although spinal anesthesia is extremely safe, adherence of new guidelines for patients receiving anticoagulant drugs, LMWH in particular, may minimize the risk of neurologic injury from spinal bleeding. At present, intrathecal adjuncts, such as neostigmine and clonidine used with local anesthetics, have shown limited usefulness, whereas lipophilic opioids, such as fentanyl, appear to increase duration and quality of spinal block without increasing the time to recovery. In the future, shorter-acting local anesthetics, possibly in conjunction with continuous catheter technologies, may reduce recovery times after spinal anesthesia without increasing risk. Spinal agents with long-acting analgesic properties that do not produce sensorimotor deficits may go beyond the immediate perioperative period and relieve postoperative pain. Currently there is controversy surrounding the use of spinal lidocaine and the occurrence of TNS, especially in the outpatient setting. The prudent use of small-dose bupivacaine and possibly procaine may reduce this risk, further supporting the use of spinal anesthesia for ambulatory as well as inpatient surgical procedures.

Adjuvants, Anesthesia↗

Subcutaneous cysts: another cause of "failed" spinal anesthesia?

Spinal anesthesia continues to be one of the major techniques in the arsenal of the modern anesthesiologist. Inadequate anesthesia may follow a spinal anesthetic for a variety of reasons. We report a case in which entry of a spinal needle into a subcutaneous cyst mimicked the free flow of cerebrospinal fluid seen with dural puncture. This was confirmed by microscopic examination of the fluid, which was consistent with the contents of a subcutaneous cyst. This represents an unusual cause for failure of spinal anesthesia. Such a possibility should be borne in mind, especially when "clear fluid" return occurs through a spinal needle placed at a relatively superficial depth.

Adult↗

[Rigidity abolished by intravenous dantrolene in a patient with Parkinson's disease under spinal anesthesia].

Spinal anesthesia was given to a patient with right femur fracture and Parkinson's disease (PD). Although sufficient analgesia was obtained up to L1 level after spinal anesthesia, the muscular rigidity remained. Furthermore, tremor of the upper extremities continued. After administering dantrolene sodium (DT) intravenously, these untoward features were abolished. These findings suggest that DT abolishes rigidity and tremor in PD, and is useful for the management of anesthesia for a patient with PD.

Aged↗

[Intracranial subdural hematoma during spinal anesthesia].

Spinal anesthesia (SA) is frequently used in tropical zones. Intracranial subdural hematoma is an uncommon complication of SA. The purpose of this report was to describe a case of intracranial subdural hematoma observed during SA performed for cesarean section in a 22-year-old women in Senegal. After one month of persistent intense headache, diagnosis was confirmed by computerized tomography. The hematoma was successfully treated by drainage under general anesthesia. Intracranial subdural hematoma has been attributed to cerebrospinal fluid hypotension due to leakage through the dural puncture site. Diagnosis, which may be difficult in Africa, should be suspected in patients with persistent headaches after SA. Confirmation requires computerized tomography of the brain. Prevention of this complication depends on the use of fine beveled-tipped puncture needle which are rarely available in the African setting.

Adult↗

Post-lumbar puncture headache as a complication of spinal anesthesia.

Spinal anesthesia is a frequently used technique for surgery of the lower extremities. A complication of this form of regional anesthesia is post-lumbar puncture headache. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are essential in preventing prolonged disability and neurologic sequelae. Two case reports are presented, followed by a review of the literature concerning etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of post-lumbar puncture headache.

Anesthesia, Spinal↗

[Hemodynamic effects of genu-pectoral position during the surgery of lumbar disk herniation: spinal anesthesia versus general anesthesia].

Spinal anesthesia (SA) for lumbar disk surgery in the genu-pectoral position (GP) has been proposed as an alternative to general anesthesia (GA). This study compares the haemodynamic effects of GP in two groups of patients undergoing either SA (n = 43) or GA (n = 40). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded before and after GP. MAP and HR were significantly lower in the GA group after GP. We conclude that SA during GP for lumbar disk surgery is haemodynamically well tolerated.

Adult↗

Debate on use of spinal anesthesia in obstetrics: spinal anesthesia has definite indications in obstetrics.

Spinal anesthesia has the advantages of speed of onset, reliability and lack of toxicity over lumbar epidural block. Against this must be offset several disadvantages, but these can be largely eliminated by careful choice of equipment and meticulous attention to details of technique. Only experienced obstetric anesthetists should perform spinal anesthesia, especially for Caesarean section. Given these conditions, spinal block has a most important part to play in obstetric anesthesia.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗

[Single-shot spinal anesthesia versus continuous spinal anesthesia using the CoSPAN catheter].

OBJECTIVE: We compared conventional single-shot spinal anaesthesia (SS) with continuous spinal anaesthesia (CS) in a randomised prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing urological surgery received either SS (n = 30) using an atraumatic needle or CS (n = 30) using a CoSPAN catheter. Prior to performing the spinal anesthesia, patients were prehydrated with 250 ml of hydroxyethyl starch 10%. Spinal anaesthesia was performed with the patients in the sitting position at L3-4 interspace. In the CS group CSF was aspirated via the catheter to check its correct position, and initially 0.5 ml of hyperbaric 5% lidocaine were injected. 0.25 ml boli at 5 min intervals were repeated as often as necessary to reach the desired sensory blockade up to the T10 segment. In patients undergoing the single-shot technique 1.5 to 3.5 ml of hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine was injected. After performing the block, haemodynamic parameters were assessed for 20 minutes at 2 min intervals, before and thereafter at 5 min intervals. The required time for recovery of motor activity of the legs was assessed postoperatively. The patients were visited on the 1st, 3rd and 5th postoperative day and asked about possible headache. RESULTS: The CoSPAN spinal catheter was easy to handle. CSF could be aspirated via this catheter within 33.1 +/- 7.6 seconds. The desired maximum cephalad spread (T10) was exceeded by a mean of 0.63 +/- 1.3 segments in the CS group and by a mean of 1.4 +/- 2.6 segments in the SS group. In the SS group a mean volume of hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine of 2.59 +/- 0.4 ml was used. In the CS group a mean volume of 1.08 +/- 0.4 ml of hyperbaric 5% lidocaine was necessary. In the SS group, mean arterial blood pressure was found to have significantly decreased to lower than the initial value within the first 20 min after injection at each of the 10 determinations. Maximal decrease of mean arterial pressure to 89.3 +/- 7.7% was registered 14 min after injection. In the CS group, only the measurement 14 min after injection of the initial bolus revealed a significant decrease of the mean arterial blood pressure to 94.2% of the initial value. The mean interval elapsed before motor function of the legs returned after the end of surgery was 67.7 +/- 50 min in the SS group and 26.7 +/- 15.4 min in the CS group. None of the 60 patients complained about postspinal headache. DISCUSSION: Fractionated injection of the local anesthetic via a spinal catheter was more precise in achieving the desired maximum cephalad spread than SS. The CS group revealed a significantly more stable blood pressure than the SS group. The use of a short-acting local anesthetic for CS provided an earlier postoperative return of motor function of the legs. Postspinal headache appears not to be a clinically relevant problem when 28-gauge spinal catheters are used.

Aged↗

Paravertebral blockade vs general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair.

One hundred and fifty-five patients scheduled for inguinal hernia repair (IHR) were given the choice of either general anesthesia (GA) (n = 53) or spinal anesthesia (SP) (n = 47) or nerve stimulator guided paravertebral blockade (PVB) (n = 55). The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), duration of hospital stay and need for postoperative analgesia were recorded. Apart from a difference in the age of patients in the GA group who were found to be slightly younger, all groups were found similar with regard to weight, height, duration of surgery, sex, type of hernia and ASA class. The incidence of PONV (0%) v/s 19% and 21% was significantly reduced in patients treated with the PVB compared to patients receiving SA and GA respectively. The length of hospital stay was also found to be shorter in the PVB group (mean 1.2 days) v/s SA (mean 2.4 days) and GA (mean 2.9 days). The need for supplemental postoperative analgesics was also found to be higher in both SA and GA when compared to PVB patients who were managed without any analgesics during the first 24 postoperative hours. The described technique appears to be an attractive alternative method to provide adequate anesthesia for IHR.

Anesthesia, General↗

Epidural and spinal anesthesia do not influence gastric emptying and small intestinal transit in volunteers.

The influence of thoracic epidural anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, and a painful stimulus on gastric emptying, orocecal transit time, and small intestinal transit were studied in nine healthy volunteers. Gastric emptying was measured by the acetaminophen absorption method. Orocecal transit time was determined by measuring end-expiratory hydrogen concentration. Small intestinal transit was calculated from measurements of the orocecal transit time and gastric emptying. Cold pain stress with intermittent immersion of the feet in ice-cold water was used as a painful stimulus. Each volunteer was investigated on four occasions: 1. during nociceptive stimulation of the feet (cold pain); 2. during low spinal anesthesia with block of the afferent nerves from the nociceptive stimulated area; 3. during thoracic epidural anesthesia (0.5% bupivacaine) with block of the efferent nerves to the stomach and small intestine but with intact afferents from the nociceptive stimulated area; 4. as a control study without pain and anesthesia. Without spinal anesthesia, immersion of the feet in cold water was very painful and caused a circulatory stress reaction with increased blood pressure. Cold pain stress in itself did not influence gastric emptying, orocecal transit time, or small intestinal transit. Neither did epidural or spinal anesthesia during cold pain stress influence these variables of gastrointestinal motility. Thus, low spinal anesthesia or thoracic epidural anesthesia in itself did not influence gastric emptying, orocecal transit, or small intestinal transit.

Adult↗

[Prevention and treatment of hypotension during spinal anesthesia].

Spinal and epidural anaesthesias alter self-regulation of arterial pressure as they lead to a sympathetic blockade. The extent and the speed of appearance of this blockade conditions the magnitude of the decrease of arterial pressure. So, epidural or spinal anaesthesias may only be performed on hemodynamically stable patients for a non hemorrhagic surgery. The routine fluid preloading is illogical and poorly efficient. Correcting a deep arterial hypotension demands first of all the use of vasoconstricting agents the choice of which depends on the site of the anaesthesia and on the cardiovascular condition of the patient. The occurrence of bradycardia more often indicates a hypovolaemic state.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗

[Spinal anesthesia for empty sella syndrome associated with diabetes insipidus--a case report].

A 60-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for surgical treatment of the left inguinal hernia. She had suffered from diabetes insipidus for ten years, and hormonal study revealed low plasma level of vasopressin. She has been taking nasally desmopressin acetate 5 micrograms twice a day and urinary output has been well controlled around 1200-1400 ml.day-1. CT-scan showed empty sella without any pituitary tumors. There were no evidences of increased intracranial pressure and neurological deficit. Following nasal instillation of desmopressin acetate 5 micrograms one hour before anesthesia, spinal anesthesia was performed with tetracaine 10 mg. Cephalad sensory block assessed by pinprick spread to T6 within 10 minutes. Systolic blood pressure gradually decreased from 120 to 90 mmHg, although no vasoconstrictors were needed. Arterial blood pressure was stable during the surgery. The operation lasted 80 minutes with 650 ml of fluid replacement, blood loss of 50 g and urinary output of 25 ml. She had no postspinal headache nor neurological deficit after surgery. Empty sella syndrome associated with diabetes insipidus is rare. Low spinal anesthesia can be performed safely whenever there is no evidence of increased intracranial pressure, although care should be taken for perioperative fluid and circulatory management.

Administration, Intranasal↗

[Continuous spinal anesthesia vs. combined spinal-epidural anesthesia in emergency surgery. The combined spinal-epidural anesthesia technique does not offer an advantage of spinal anesthesia with a microcatheter].

UNLABELLED: In this prospective study we investigated the efficacy of microcatheter spinal anaesthesia in comparison with a combined spinal-epidural technique in trauma patients. METHODS: After institutional approval 60 patients undergoing urgent lower-limb surgery randomly received either CSA (22 G Sprotte needle, 28 G nylon catheter) in group 1 or CSE (18 G Tuohy needle, 22 G epidural catheter and 25 G pencil-point needle) in group 2. An initial subarachnoid bolus of 2 ml of plain bupivacaine 0.5% was injected in both groups. Difficulties with the lumbar puncture or catheter insertion, the time required for performance of either technique and the onset of analgesia at T12 were documented. If analgesia did not reach T12 within 20 min, supplemental bupivacaine was injected either intrathecally or epidurally up to a maximum of 5 ml in the CSA group or 16 ml in the CSE group. RESULTS: The number of lumbar punctures (CSA: n = 1.8 +/- 1.5; CSE: n = 2.6 +/- 1.8; P = 0.05) and the incidence of technical problems (CSA: 13%, CSE: 47%; P = 0.012) was higher in the CSE group. In contrast to CSA, performance of CSE was more time consuming (CSA: 8 +/- 3 min, CSE: 15 +/- 8 min; P = 0.0003), and the total dose of local anaesthetics was higher in the CSE group (CSA: 3.2 +/- 1 ml, CSE: 9.7 +/- 5 ml; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Because of the higher incidence of technical problems, more time was required for the performance of CSE. As a consequence, microcatheter CSA might be preferred over CSE in trauma patients.

Aged↗