Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-8kt4b Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-29T01:52:45.755Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

5.3.2 - Management and Administration of Analgesia via an Epidural Catheter

from Section 5.3 - Practical Central Nervous System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2023

Ned Gilbert-Kawai
Affiliation:
The Royal Liverpool Hospital
Debashish Dutta
Affiliation:
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow
Carl Waldmann
Affiliation:
Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
Get access

Summary

Key Learning Points

  1. 1. Patients with epidurals need careful and close monitoring.

  2. 2. It is the dose of local anaesthetic, not the volume, that is of most importance in ensuring adequate analgesia.

  3. 3. If the block is too low or absent, try topping up the epidural before removing it.

  4. 4. If the block is too high or off to one side, try changing the patient’s position to use gravity to help you alter the block.

  5. 5. Always be wary of the hypotensive patient with an epidural. Do not assume it is always down to the epidural, but rather rule out other possible causes.

Type
Chapter
Information
Intensive Care Medicine
The Essential Guide
, pp. 608 - 610
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References and Further Reading

Hermanides, J, Hollmann, M, Lirk, F. Failed epidurals; causes and management. Br J Anaesth 2012;109:144–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sykes, G. 2017. Epidural and spinal anaesthetics. Obstetric Excellence. www.obstetricexcellence.com.au/epidural-spinal-anaesthetics/Google Scholar
Vyver, M, Halpern, S, Joseph, G. Patient controlled epidural analgesia versus continuous infusion for labour analgesia: a meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth 2002;89:459–65.Google ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×