The effect of lumbar extradural analgesia on intervillous blood flow (IBF) during labour was studied in 26 healthy parturients using an i.v. bolus injection of xenon-133. There was a 19% decrease (n.s.) in mean IBF in six parturients (non-extradural control group). Mean IBF increased by 37.5% when 0.25% bupivacaine 10 ml was used and by 35.2% when 2% 2-chloroprocaine 10 ml was used (n.s.). When...

Objective- To evaluate the effects of bupivacaine (B), ketamine (K), and a combination of bupivacaine and ketamine (BK) after lumbosacral epidural analgesia in sheep.   Design- Experimental study.   Animals- Nine healthy male and non-pregnant female Iranian Chall sheep with mean body weight of 38.9 ± 15.1 kg.   Procedures- Animals were selected randomly and three treatments administered. The ...

We have studied the complications associated with three techniques used to maintain extradural analgesia in labour: midwife top-up doses of 0.25% bupivacaine 10 ml, continuous infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine 10 ml h-1 and patient-controlled extradural analgesia (PCEA) with self-administered 3-ml bolus doses of 0.25% bupivacaine. A significantly higher intervention rate by an anaesthetist was req...

We report the extradural administration of low-dose morphine in 10 ml of 10% dextrose (2-3 mg) to 98 adult patients with various types of acute and chronic pain. Extradural morphine injections were given either via a Tuohy needle (single or repeat injection) or via an extradural catheter. Pain relief was evaluated by subjective scoring and by the subsequent need for systemic analgesics. In 56% ...

We have examined the effect of intraoperative and postoperative (4 h) continuous spinal anaesthesia for colonic surgery on the postoperative glucose, lactate and cortisol responses. Twenty-one patients were studied; the first group (control) received general anaesthesia, the second group (extradural) an extradural block (T4-S5) and the third group (spinal) a continuous spinal block (T4-S5). Pla...

Fifty women in labour were allocated randomly to receive either air or saline to assist in the identification of the extradural space by the loss of resistance technique. A study volume of 4 ml of air or saline was used before 0.5% bupivacaine 8 ml and the spread of analgesia was followed for 30 min. The first segment blocked, time of onset, number of blocked segments and height of block were c...