Intracranial subdural haematoma complicates accidental dural tap during labour.

A 19-year-old, healthy nulliparous woman developed an intracranial subdural haematoma after unintentional dural puncture in connection with epidural analgesia for labour pain. The haematoma was evacuated and the patient recovered completely. Anaesthesiologists and obstetricians should be aware of this rare but potentially dangerous complication to epidural analgesia.

Whitacre or Quincke needles--does it really matter.

BACKGROUND: Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) and backache are well known complications of spinal anaesthesia. The incidence of PDPH may be significant in young people (< 50 years). The present study was undertaken in order to compare the utility and complication rate of the Whitacre and Ouincke spinal needles. METHODS: During three years all patients who could comply, and who were to undergo spinal anaesthesia at the Department were asked to join this quality control study. Each one received a questionnaire including questions about discomfort and other possible side effects attributed to spinal anaesthesia. In each case, an extended anaesthetic record was filled out by the anaesthesiologist. About 50 anaesthesiologists at different educational levels were involved. RESULTS: The study includes 2598 cases, of which questionnaires were returned by 66%. Needles of the 25 G gauge size were used in over 90% of the cases. Multiple skin punctures were required more frequently in the Quincke than in the Whitacre group (P < 0.01). The number of insufficient blocks was also higher in the Quincke group (P < 0.01). There was a higher incidence of backache in the Quincke group (P < 0.05). In patients under 50 years, PDPH was more frequent following use of the Quincke needle (P < 0.05), whereas no difference between the needles in this regard was found among those over 50 years (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For routine clinical use the Whitacre needle appears to be associated with better performance and increased reliability. In younger patients the Whitacre needle have the additional advantage of decreasing the risk of postdural puncture headache.

Anesthetic quality during cesarean section following subarachnoid or epidural administration of bupivacaine with or without fentanyl.

BACKGROUND: It is often assumed that subarachnoid administration of local anesthetics produces a more profound blockade than epidural anesthesia. Furthermore, the addition of fentanyl has been reported to increase preferentially intraoperative analgesia. In the present study we set out to study these two issues in a randomized and controlled study with respect to perceived pain and discomfort during surgery and postoperative pain. METHODS: In the present study, 100 parturients subjected to elective cesarean section, 34 nullipara and 66 multipara, received one out of four combinations of the local anesthetic bupivacaine and the opioid fentanyl; group A--bupivacaine 12.5 mg + 10 micrograms fentanyl subarachnoidally, group B--bupivacaine 12.5 mg + saline subarachnoidally, group C--bupivacaine 100 mg + 100 micrograms fentanyl epidurally, group D--bupivacaine 100 mg + saline epidurally; N = 25 in each group. Pain intensity and discomfort during surgery was assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS). Postoperative pain intensity and need for analgesics postoperatively, ketobemidone, was registered for 24 h following surgery. RESULTS: Intraoperative pain intensity and discomfort did not differ significantly between parturients in any of the four groups Postoperative pain was significantly more intense in parturients receiving local anesthetics subarachnoidally as compared to the epidural groups during the first 6-h period. This difference was also reflected in a significantly increased consumption of analgesics during this period. No significant differences between the groups were observed with regard to hemodynamics (blood pressure), respiration (oxygen saturation) or other effects such as nausea or itching. All neonates had normal Apgar and neonatal adaptive capacity scores (NACS). CONCLUSION: We conclude that subarachnoidal (12.5 mg) and epidural (100 mg) injections with bupivacaine both produced adequate anesthetic quality in women undergoing elective cesarean section. The addition of fentanyl (10 micrograms subarachnoidally or 100 micrograms epidurally) did not significantly improve the quality of these already profound blockades.

Cardiac function and sympathoadrenal activity in the newborn after cesarean section under spinal and epidural anesthesia.

Left ventricular systolic time intervals, bupivacaine concentrations, adrenaline and noradrenaline levels were determined in 19 neonates delivered by elective cesarean section. Ten of the cesarean sections were performed under spinal and nine under epidural anesthesia. Plain bupivacaine 0.5% was used for the epidural anesthesia and bupivacaine 0.5% in glucose 8% for the spinals. The noradrenaline and adrenaline levels were higher in the neonates whose mothers received epidural anesthesia. The differences in catecholamine and bupivacaine concentrations were not associated with differences in left ventricular dynamics, or the timing of postnatal circulatory changes. The significant exposure of the neonate to bupivacaine, at maternal epidural anesthesia, seems to have no negative effect on early neonatal circulation in the healthy term infant.

Appearance of pethidine and norpethidine in cerebrospinal fluid of man following intramuscular injection of pethidine.

The plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of pethidine and its main metabolite in plasma, norpethidine, were determined in 20 patients undergoing minor surgery who had received pethidine chloride as premedication in a standard dose of 100 mg intramuscularly. The disposition of pethidine and norpethidine in plasma was followed for 3-8 h after administration. The rate of transfer of the drug and its metabolite from plasma to CSF was assessed on the basis of a single sample of CSF taken from each patient. Pethidine appeared within less than 18 min in the CSF, reaching a maximum after about 90 min. After that, the pethidine concentration ratio CSF/plasma was relatively stable at 0.4-0.5. This is in agreement with the concept that the concentration of a drug in CSF is correlated with the concentration of unbound drug in plasma at equilibrium. Norpethidine which was present in rapidly increasing concentrations in plasma after a delay of 30 min, appeared in CSF in a slower and more erratic fashion as compared to the parent compound. However, after 240 min, the CSF/plasma concentration ratio was similar for pethidine and norpethidine. Thus, transfer from plasma to CSF occurs relatively rapidly. There is little evidence for a functionally significant blood-brain barrier for pethidine and norpethidine.