Effectiveness of epidural steroid injection for the management of symptomatic herniated lumbar disc.

Low-back pain is a common clinical presentation of herniated lumbar disc. This is the most common presenting complain of the young adults. The incidence of low back pain is high in our part of the world. The reason may be hilly terrain, difficult working and living environment. The initial treatment of low back pain is conservative. Epidural steroid injection (ESI) is being slowly established as a simple, effective and minimally invasive treatment modality. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of epidural steroid injection for low back and radicular pain. This is a Prospective observational study. It was carried out on the patients presenting with the complain of low back and radicular pain due to herniated lumbar disc not responding to conservative treatment. All the patients of herniated lumbar disc were proven by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Injection Methyl prednisolone 80 mg and 2 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine was diluted in 8 ml of normal saline and injected into the affected lumbar epidural space. The functional status of the patient and the severity of pain were evaluated before injection and after injection during the follow-up period by using Ostrewy disability index and visual analogue score. Sixty two patients received the epidural steroid injections, but only fifty patients came for regular follow up till six months. Among the fifty patients, 26 were male and 24 were female. The functional status and pain response of the patients were improved significantly during all the follow-up periods (p < 0.001). The success rate of this study was 81%. No major complications were encountered. The ESI is a simple, safe, effective and minimally invasive modality for the management of symptomatic herniated discs.

Failure of subarachnoid block in caesarean section.

Subarachnoid block is the most convenient and safe anaesthesia during caesarean section. But there are incidences where subarachnoid block does not work and other methods of anaesthesia have to be employed. This study was done in 2039 female patients who underwent caesarean Section at Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital, Thapathali, Kathmandu Nepal from 1st October 2005 to end of September 2006 to find the rate of failure of subarachnoid block in Caesarean Section and look for the causes of failure. Patients of age 17 years to 43 years (mean age 25.40 years) and ASA I and II were included in the study. Spinal needle (Sprotte) of 26 Gauze with Quincke's bevel was used. Solution injected was 2.20 ml of 0.5% hyperbaric Bupivacaine. Of the total 2039 patients who received subarachnoid block with the above mentioned methods, 6.0% (n=123) needed further anesthetic agents. Conversion to general anesthesia was needed in 87 (4.3%) patients. Rest 1.8% (n=36) could be operated with further administration of intravenous agents (Ketamine, Diazepam and/or Pentazocine) only.

Comparative study of epidural administration of 10 ml of 0.1% bupivacaine with 2 mg butorphanol and 10 ml of 0.25% plain bupivacaine for analgesia during labor.

Analgesia during labor provided by two epidural drug regimens was compared in a double blind, randomized, prospective study. Group A (n = 12) received 10 ml bolus doses of 0.1% bupivacaine with butorphanol 2 mg while Group B (n = 8) received 10 ml of 0.25% plain bupivacaine. The objectives of this study was to compare, between the quality of an epidural labor analgesia using initial loading dose of 0.1% bupivacaine and 2 mg butorphanol with a initial loading dose of 0.25% bupivacaine. In Group A, incidence of motor block was 8.3% and that of prolong 2nd stage of labor was 16.7%, both were decreased in comparison with Group B, although they were not statistically significant. Hemodynamic variables were stable and no adverse neonatal and maternal outcome was observed in both groups. Addition of butorphanol to bupivacaine may be safe alternative to reduce motor block and decrease prolong 2nd stage for epidural labor analgesia.