SPREAD OF SPINAL ANAESTHESIA

Prediction of the spread of repeated spinal anaesthesia with bupivacaine.

We have studied in 56 patients the predictability of spread of repeated spinal anaesthesia in the same patient on the basis of a previous block. With plain 0.5% bupivacaine, prediction of the second block was accurate. A significantly higher or lower spread of analgesia than in the previous block was achieved when plain 0.5% bupivacaine was administered using a modified technique--sitting posit...

Spinal anaesthesia.

Spinal anaesthesia is normally performed by puncture of the dura and arachnoid mater in the lumbar region, and local anaesthetic is introduced directly into the eerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the nerve roots and spinal cord. The solution will spread longitudinally through the CSF and the drug will be taken up by the neuronal tissue. Whether an effective concentration results in a particu...

Spinal Anaesthesia in Spinal Surgery

Effect of speed of injection of 0.5% plain bupivacaine on the spread of spinal anaesthesia.

We have studied the influence of two different speeds of injection on the spread of spinal anaesthesia of bupivacaine in 40 orthopaedic patients. In a random order, 0.5% plain bupivacaine 3 ml was administered in 10 or 180 s into the subarachnoid space using a 27-gauge needle with the patients in a lateral horizontal position. The slower speed produced a higher spread of spinal anaesthesia (med...

Spread of spinal anaesthesia with 0.5% bupivacaine: influence of the vertebral interspace and speed of injection.

Three millilitres of plain 0.5% bupivacaine were injected intrathecally at two different spinal interspaces (L2/3 and L4/5) and at two different speeds (15 and 30 sec) in four groups of ten patients. Injection at L2/3 over 15 sec produced a significantly higher mean maximum spread of analgesia (T6.4) when compared to injection at L4-5 over 15 sec (T10.3) (P < 0.05). Over the same interspace L2/...