Effect of preloading epidural space with 0.9％ sodium chloride on the incidence of the injury to blood vessel by epidural catheter Insertion for cesarean section / 中国医师进修杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of preloading epidural space with 0.9％ sodium chloride on the incidence of the injury to blood vessel by epidural catheter insertion for cesarean section.Methods One hundred uterogestation patients with single birth,ASA class Ⅰ - Ⅱ,underwent caesarean section and requested continuous epidural analgesia were divided into group P and group C with each 50 cases by random digits table.After identification of the epidural space,group C was inserted epidural catheter directly,and 5 ml of 0.9％ sodium chloride was injected into epidural space through the epidural needle in group P,while the syringe plunger was held closed for 20 s to make sure the solution spreaded sufficiently,following insertion the epidural catheter.Between the two groups,mean arterial pressure and heart rate were recorded prior to anesthesia,2 min after turn to the supine horizontal position after succeeded puncture,the time when the fetus were born and when the surgery were over.The cases with bloody fluid in the epidural puncture needle during puncture,or in the epidural catheter during catheter placement,fresh blood in the epidural catheter,and bloody fluid in caudal end of epidural catheter during extubation were recorded.ResultsThe changes of mean arterial pressure and heart rate were all in the normal range,there was no obvious difference between the two groups.The incidence of rates with bloody fluid in the epidural puncture needle during puncture and the bloody fluid in caudal end of epidural catheter during extubation in group P were significantly lower than those in group C [ 10％ (5/50) vs.26％ (13/50),22％ (11/50) vs.48％ (24/50),P ＜ 0.05 or ＜ 0.01 ].ConclusionPreloading epidural space with 5 ml 0.9％ sodium chloride can reduce the incidence of the injury to blood vessel induced by insertion of epidural catheter.