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What Anaesthetic is used for epidural?

What Anaesthetic is used for epidural?

Epidural anesthesia is administered by injecting local anesthetic into the epidural space and can be performed in the sacral hiatus or in the lumbar, thoracic, or cervical regions of the spine. Spinal anesthesia follows the injection of local anesthetic into the CSF in the lumbar space.

What level is epidural inserted?

Epidural anesthesia can be performed at any level of the vertebral column, and the choice of placement depends on the desired anesthetic level. In contrast, spinal anesthesia is usually performed below L2 to avoid injury of the spinal cord.

What are the drugs that are used in spinal and epidural anesthesia?

Lidocaine, tetracaine, and bupivacaine are the local anesthetic agents most commonly employed for spinal anesthesia in the U.S. Lidocaine provides a short duration of anesthesia and is primarily useful for surgical and obstetrical procedures lasting less than one hour.

Can epidural go wrong?

The needle used to deliver the epidural can hit a nerve, leading to temporary or permanent loss of feeling in your lower body. Bleeding around the area of the spinal cord and using the wrong medication in the epidural can also cause nerve damage. This side effect is extremely rare.

Where to place an epidural catheter for analgesia?

The first step in placing the catheter is choosing the proper location. The goal is to place the catheter at the spinal level most closely associated with the site of pain. Analgesia can be targeted best from five to seven continuous dermatomal regions.

How big is the space for an epidural catheter?

If the needle transverses 6 cm of tissue to reach the epidural space, 4 rungs on the needle will be still showing, the catheter should exit the skin at the 11-cm mark, leaving 5 cm in the epidural space. There are special marks at 5, 10, and 15 cm on the catheter to help you determine your depth.

Are there any clinical indications for epidural anesthesia?

Clinical indications for epidural anesthesia and analgesia have expanded significantly over the past several decades.

Can a broken epidural catheter be an anesthesiologist?

A broken spinal or epidural catheter, although an uncommon occurrence, remains an area of utmost dilemma to the practicing anesthesiologist.