What is epidural anesthesia?
How does an epidural work?
Epidural anesthesia, which is also known as nerve root anesthesia, is used to numb the nerve roots leaving the spinal cord. This is accomplished by injecting a local anesthetic or analgesic (pain medication). It is commonly used during childbirth to relieve the pain of it, and has recently introduced its use also in surgery to prevent pain that occurs after some operations and reduce complications such as lung infections and thrombosis in the legs lack of mobility.
During childbirth , epidurals usually begins when there are contractions and is administered once the cervix has begun to dilate. It is completely effective in about 96% of cases, and about two thirds of Spanish women benefit from it when they give birth. However, these figures vary considerably from one hospital to another.
An epidural blocks the nerves that reach the uterus or other body parts, depending on the level where you put. These nerve roots in a space surrounding the spinal cord, called epidural space. This is within the spine just outside the outer covering of the spinal cord.
Of interest
How it gets an epidural?
See our 'section Pregnancy and Childbirth 'other items related to childbirth:
- The delivery (general)
- Caesarean section
Watch 'Ask the doctor' repondidas questions of our users.
Epidural always puts an anesthetist .
The epidural space is located through a thin, hollow needle, usually in
the lower part of the spine, and after application of a local
anesthetic to the skin. Then insert a small space in the plastic tube through the needle and the needle is removed, leaving the tube in position.
This tube is generally connected to an automatic infusion pump which is
adjusted to continuously supply, until it stops required, a certain
amount of local anesthetics and analgesics in the epidural space.
What are the side effects?
The most common are:
- Fall in blood pressure: this occurs in most cases and is easily treated by administering serums and medication at the time. For this reason the patient's blood pressure is measured frequently while the epidural is administered.
- Headache : also known as spinal headache happens to 1% of patients who received an epidural. It occurs when the needle goes through the dura (membrane that surrounds the spinal cord) and unintentionally passes to space where the spinal cord is housed. This is easily treated by the anesthetist.
- There are special situations in which you should take extra care with epidural anesthesia, such as when there is a defective placenta.
The use of epidural anesthesia has existed for many years, and it's a pretty safe and reliable technique.
Yet it is not a risk-free practice and those patients that may arise
use should receive a detailed and complete information so they can
decide for themselves whether or not they want to benefit from this
procedure.
some complications may occur, such as meningitis , because it occurred passage bacteria from the outside into the vertebral canal, but are rare unless appropriate measures are taken sterilization.
There is also the risk of paralysis by damaging the nerve roots when
lumbar epidural is administered, as the level at which it comes as no
bone and, therefore, the paralysis is caused by the existence of abscess
or hematoma.
There are some conditions that epidural anesthesia is not entirely
advisable or may even be contraindicated, as some back problems.
Neither it should be used when there is increased tendency to
infections or bleeding, or where there are certain diseases of the
nervous system. If any of these conditions occur should always be consulted in advance anesthesiologist.
Dr. Niels Lund , specialist in obstetrics and gynecology; Dr. Charlotte Floridon , general practitioner, Dr. FN Gordon Smith , a specialist in Anesthesiology
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