Low-dose sequential combined spinal-epidural: an anaesthetic technique for caesarean section in patients with significant cardiac disease.

In the United Kingdom, cardiac disease is the second most common cause of all maternal deaths. The best anaesthetic technique for caesarean section in these patients has yet to be established. We describe a low-dose combined spinal-epidural technique in four high-risk obstetric patients who presented to this unit. Invasive monitoring was used in each case, and drugs with significant cardiovascular effects were avoided or used with extreme caution. Multidisciplinary team involvement, including serial echocardiography in the antenatal period, is strongly recommended.

Sevoflurane analgesia in obstetrics: a pilot study.

Continuous and intermittent administration of inhalational anesthetics has been successfully employed for treating pain during labor. We conjectured that intermittent sevoflurane administration would be effective for pain relief during labor without side effects to the mother or fetus. Fifty parturients breathed a mixture of 2-3% sevoflurane, oxygen and air before each uterine contraction began. The patients assessed the quality of analgesia by using a visual analogue scale (0-10) before the administration of sevoflurane and after each uterine contraction. All parturients but one were satisfied, demonstrating a mean visual analogue score before and after sevoflurane administration of 8.7 +/- 1.1 and 3.3 +/- 1.5, respectively. Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min were 9 (range 5-9) and 10 (range 8-10), respectively. Our findings suggest that sevoflurane could be effective for the treatment of labor pain.

Anaesthesia for non-obstetric surgery during pregnancy.

As with all anaesthesia, the fundamentals of physiology, pharmacology and pathology must be understood, as well as an appreciation of the effects of drugs on the mother and fetus when providing anaesthesia care in pregnancy. Hypothermic, hyperbaric, cardiac by-pass, hypotensive and other special techniques have been used safely in pregnancy. If these are contemplated then the anaesthetist should consult expert help. [A disk copy of the slides and all references cited in the lecture are available on request from the author].

Angio-oedema following rectal diclofenac after caesarean section.

We report a case of an acute allergic reaction to rectal diclofenac following elective caesarean section in a patient taking ibuprofen. The reaction presented as severe angio-oedema affecting the face and tongue. Serial blood samples failed to show the rise in tryptase levels characteristic of an anaphylactic or anaphylactoid reaction. Diclofenac is widely used for postoperative pain relief in women undergoing caesarean section. To our knowledge this is the first time that an adverse reaction to diclofenac given via this route has been reported in an obstetric patient.

The combined spinal-epidural technique.

Epidural and spinal blocks are well-accepted regional techniques, but they have several disadvantages. The CSE technique can reduce or eliminate the risks of these disadvantages. CSE block combines the rapidity, density, and reliability of the subarachnoid block with the flexibility of continuous epidural block to extend duration of analgesia. The CSE technique is used routinely at many institutions, particularly for major orthopedic surgery and in obstetrics. It has been used in tens of thousands of patients without any reports of major problems. Although at first sight the CSE technique appears to be more complicated than epidural or spinal block alone, intrathecal drug administration and siting of the epidural catheter are both enhanced by the combined, single-space, needle-through-needle method. Concerns about the epidural catheter entering the theca via the small puncture hole are now considered to be unfounded, but as with all epidural catheter techniques, vigilant monitoring of the patient during and after any injection is paramount. CSE is an effective way to reduce the total drug dosage required for anesthesia or analgesia. The intrathecal injection achieves rapid onset with minimal doses of local anesthetics and opioids, and the block can be prolonged with low-dose epidural maintenance administration. In addition, the sequential CSE method can be used to extend the dermatomal block with minimal additional drugs or even saline. Reduction in total drug dosage has made truly selective blockade possible. Many studies have confirmed that low-dose CSE with local anesthetic and opioid, or low-dose epidural block alone, will provide effective analgesia with minimal motor and proprioceptive block. Such neurologic selective blockade has made it possible for most patients to walk and bear down normally in labor or postoperatively. There remains concern about the risk of infection being increased when the CSE technique is used in place of epidural block alone. Despite a recent flurry of reports of meningitis with CSE procedures, there is no evidence the CSE block is more hazardous than epidural or subarachnoid block alone. Arguably, the single-space, needle-through-needle CSE technique will continue to improve with new needle designs and other advances to improve further the success rate and reduce complications, such as neurotrauma, PDPH, and infection. Over the past decade it has become clear that the CSE technique is a significant advance in regional blockade.

Combined spinal-epidural technique.

BACKGROUND: For the past 16 years the combined spinal-epidural (CSE) technique has been extensively researched and developed to the point where it is now in widespread use. Along with the use of low-dose mixtures of local anesthetics and opioids, and the introduction of fine-gauge pencil-point needles, CSE is being increasingly recognized as another important addition to the armamentarium of the anesthesiologist. METHOD: One hundred and forty-two publications focusing on the CSE technique, or on questions concerning CSE-related issues, were reviewed. Out of 33 double-blind or controlled studies, 23 directly investigated the CSE technique. Fifty-four prospective studies and letters made directly relevant points on advantages or problems with CSE. Twenty-one book chapters, reviews and editorials were included, 11 of them concerning the use of CSE technique. RESULTS: All CSE techniques which may be used for surgical anesthesia, for analgesia in labor or for postoperative pain management are described. Indications, advantages, disadvantages, and the various methods for performing CSE procedures, including sequential CSE block, are described and reviewed, along with the equipment currently available for their administration. CONCLUSION: The CSE technique offers many potential advantages over continuous epidural or subarachnoid methods alone, including a reduction in drug dosage, the ability to eliminate motor blockade and to achieve highly selective sensory blockade and optimize analgesia. These features hold great promise for minimizing the hazards and side effects of traditional epidural and subarachnoid techniques. Controversial fears, risks, and pitfalls of the CSE technique and of continuous epidural and subarachnoid methods are debated and discussed.