BACKGROUND The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether epidural fentanyl-bupivacaine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) was more efficacious and had fewer adverse effects than epidural or intravenous morphine PCA. METHODS We retrospectively retrieved data from 859 patients (mean age 64+/-7 years) who received continuous epidural medication, either morphine or fentanyl-bup...

OBJECTIVE To study the awakening of the elderly patients from propofol intravenous general anesthesia or sevoflurane inhalation general anesthesia combined with epidural block after radical gastric cancer surgery. METHOD Eighty cases receiving selective radical surgery for gastric cancer were included. They were aged 65-78 years and classified as ASA grade I-II. Using a random number table, t...

BACKGROUND The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has been shown to provide effective postoperative analgesia in lower abdominal surgery. Subcostal TAP block has also been proposed as a new technique to provide analgesia for the supraumbilical abdomen. We compared the analgesic and opioid-sparing effects of a single-injection subcostal TAP block with continuous thoracic epidural analgesia ...

BACKGROUND There is little evidence regarding the effectiveness of intervention methods in the treatment of zoster-related pain (ZAP) after the acute phase of zoster. Generally, if ZAP remains after more than 180 days from its onset, the likelihood of pain reduction is very low; this condition is considered as a "well established" post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Although the clinical efficacy of...

INTRODUCTION We present a case of paraplegia due to cord compression from epidural hematoma following an uneventful epidural catheter insertion in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis. CASE PRESENTATION A 65-year-old gentleman was scheduled for a major laparotomy for abdominal wall reconstruction. He has a past medical history of mild asthma, ankylosing spondylitis, duodenal ulcer and a supe...

OBJECTIVE Epidural (EA) and combined spinal-epidural (CSE) techniques have both been utilized for labor analgesia. This study compared the effects on the mother and newborn of these techniques in labor analgesia and anesthesia. METHODS Forty pregnant women received epidural analgesia with 15 mL of 0.125% ropivacaine (EA group) and 5 microg of sufentanil plus 2.5mg bupivacaine in the subarachn...

Acute liver dysfunction in the perioperative period may increase the risk of epidural hematoma in a patient with a neuraxial catheter. Coagulation testing needs to be carefully monitored in these patients. An epidural hematoma should be ruled out urgently by CT or MRI in cases of a persistent motor block.

Horner's syndrome is a rare complication of epidural analgesia in labour. Although it is a sign of high sympathetic block, patients are usually haemodynamicaly stable. We report a case of undiagnosed Horner's syndrome complicating epidural analgesia in labour, where a standard dose of local anaesthetic was given for an emergency caesarean section without problems. This may confirm the benign na...

In contrast EVE with local anaesthetic causes leaks from epidural space to subarachnoid puncture and also perineural or transdural spread of the extradural solution to enhance intensity and block duration besides volume effect. 5-7 In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of epidural volume extension (EVE) with colloid on dose requirement of intrathecal bupivacaine with fentanyl to ABST...

Study Design Retrospective evaluation of consecutively performed fluoroscopically guided cervical nerve root blocks. Objective To describe the incidence of injectate central epidural flow with respect to needle tip position during fluoroscopically guided extraforaminal cervical nerve root blocks (ECNRBs). Methods Between February 19, 2003 and June 11, 2003, 132 consecutive fluoroscopically guid...