Ambulatory or "walking" extradural analgesia in labour has recently gained popularity because of preservation of motor function and subjective somatic sensation in the lower limbs, resulting in increased maternal satisfaction. This is produced by combining dilute concentrations (e.g. 0.1%) of bupivacaine with opioids. Detailed clinical neurological examination after mobile extradural analgesia ...

Twenty consecutive patients undergoing elective transurethral resection of the prostate were allocated randomly to one of two groups. Group I (n = 10) received lumbar extradural analgesia with 0.5% bupivacaine. Group II (n = 10) received general anaesthesia with spontaneous respiration, using 60% nitrous oxide and 1-2% halothane in oxygen. There was a significant inhibitory effect on platelet a...

Twenty patients undergoing major abdominal surgery were allocated randomly to receive either general anaesthesia with low-dose fentanyl plus intermittent systemic morphine for postoperative pain or the same general anaesthetic plus extradural analgesia during and following surgery (local anaesthetics from before skin incision until 24 h after skin incision plus extradural morphine 4 mg every 12...

The pain-relieving effect of a single extradural dose of pethidine 25 mg with and without adrenaline was studied in 20 healthy women during labour. The study was open regarding the effects of pethidine but double-blind regarding the addition of adrenaline. In 14 of 19 women good or excellent analgesia was achieved for a period of 50-160 min. Pethidine with adrenaline 25 micrograms was not more ...

We have examined the efficacy, duration of action and side effects of extradural diamorphine alone and in combination with 1:200,000 adrenaline in a randomized, double-blind controlled study of 45 patients who underwent Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia. Saline 10 ml, diamorphine 2.5 mg in saline 10 ml or diamorphine 2.5 mg in 1:200,000 adrenaline 10 ml were administered via the extrad...