Safety and effectiveness of butorphanol in epidural labor analgesia:A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Epidural analgesia is the most effective analgesic method during labor.Butorphanol administered epidurally has been shown to be a successful analgesic method during labor.However,no comprehensive study has examined the safety and efficacy of using butorphanol as an epidural analgesic during labor.AIM To assess butorphanol's safety and efficacy for epidural labor analgesia.METHODS The PubMed,Cochrane Library,EMBASE,Web of Science,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,and Google Scholar databases will be searched from inception.Other types of literature,such as conference abstracts and references to pertinent reviews,will also be reviewed.We will include randomized controlled trials comparing butorphanol with other opioids combined with local anesthetics for epidural analgesia during labor.There will be no language restrictions.The primary outcomes will include the visual analog scale score for the first stage of labor,fetal effects,and Apgar score.Two independent reviewers will evaluate the full texts,extract data,and assess the risk of bias.Publication bias will be evaluated using Egger's or Begg's tests as well as visual analysis of a funnel plot,and heterogeneity will be evaluated using the Cochran Q test,P values,and I2 values.Meta-analysis,subgroup analysis,and sensitivity analysis will be performed using RevMan software version 5.4.This protocol was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)Protocols statement,and the PRISMA statement will be used for the systematic review.RESULTS This study provides reliable information regarding the safety and efficacy of using butorphanol as an epidural analgesic during labor.CONCLUSION To support clinical practice and development,this study provides evidence-based findings regarding the safety and efficacy of using butorphanol as an epidural analgesic during labor.

Unique method for removal of knotted lumbar epidural catheter: A case report

BACKGROUND Combined spinal-epidural(CSE)anesthesia is the preferred anesthesia method for cesarean delivery.The use of an epidural catheter is essential for administering additional drugs intraoperatively and managing postoperative pain.However,the insertion of epidural catheters is associated with various complications,such as total spinal anesthesia,symptoms indicative of spinal nerve root irritation,and challenges in epidural catheter removal.CASE SUMMARY We present a case report of a challenging epidural catheter removal due to knotting.The lumbar computed tomography scan results revealed that the catheter formed a tight knot in the epidural space.We used a novel extubation method and successfully removed the catheter.CONCLUSION The operator can use opposite forces to"spiral"apart the spinal joints by positioning the patient's body in a specific position.The findings indicate that,when combined with imaging examination results,this method is effective for the removal of epidural catheters.

Rare giant intradural epidural hemolymphangioma:A case report

BACKGROUND Hemolymphangioma is a rare,noninvasive benign tumor that originates from vascular and lymphatic malformations.It is usually congenital and can present with varying symptoms depending on its location and size.There are very few reports of hemolymphangiomas within the spinal canal,and giant lesions are exceptionally rare.CASE SUMMARY In July 2023,a 64-year-old male with a giant intravertebral epidural hemolymphangioma from thoracic 11 to lumbar 2(T11-L2)was admitted to the Department of Spine Surgery at the People's Hospital of Binzhou City,China.The patient experienced progressive lumbar and left lower limb pain,numbness,weakness in both lower limbs,and difficulty with urination and defecation.Imaging studies revealed a large cystic mass in the spinal canal at T11-L2.Surgical decompression was performed,and the pathology confirmed hemolymphangioma.CONCLUSION Complete resection of hemolymphangiomas has the best prognosis,and final diagnosis relies on pathologic diagnosis.In this case,the mass was removed intact with a pedicle nail rod system,leading to adequate spinal decompression and restoration of spinal stability.

Delayed neurological dysfunction following posterior laminectomy with lateral mass screw fixation:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND While most complications of cervical surgery are reversible,some,such as symptomatic postoperative spinal epidural hematoma(SEH),which generally occurs within 24 h,are associated with increased morbidity and mortality.Delayed neurological dysfunction is diagnosed in cases when symptoms present>3 d postoperatively.Owing to its rarity,the risk factors for delayed neurological dysfunction are unclear.Consequently,this condition can result in irreversible neurological deficits and serious consequences.In this paper,we present a case of postoperative SEH that developed three days after hematoma evacuation.CASE SUMMARY A 68-year-old man with an American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)grade C injury was admitted to our hospital with neck pain and tetraplegia following a fall.The C3-C7 posterior laminectomy and the lateral mass screw fixation surgery were performed on the tenth day.Postoperatively,the patient showed no changes in muscle strength or ASIA grade.The patient experienced neck pain and subcutaneous swelling on the third day postoperatively,his muscle strength decreased,and his ASIA score was grade A.Magnetic resonance imaging showed hypointense signals on T1 weighted image(T1WI)and T2WI located behind the epidural space,with spinal cord compression.Emergency surgical intervention for the hematoma was performed 12 h after onset.Although hypoproteinemia and pleural effusion did not improve in the perioperative period,the patient recovered to ASIA grade C on day 30 after surgery,and was transferred to a functional rehabilitation exercise unit.CONCLUSION This case shows that amelioration of low blood albumin and pleural effusion is an important aspect of the perioperative management of cervical surgery.Surgery to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord should be performed as soon as possible to decrease neurological disabilities.

Application of dezocine patient-controlled epidural analgesia in postoperative analgesia in patients with total myomectomy

BACKGROUND Uterine fibroids are common benign gynecological conditions.Patients who experience excessive menstruation,anemia,and pressure symptoms should be administered medication,and severe cases require a total hysterectomy.This procedure is invasive and causes severe postoperative pain,which can affect the patient’s postoperative sleep quality and,thus,the recovery process.AIM To evaluate use of dezocine in patient-controlled epidural analgesia(PCEA)for postoperative pain management in patients undergoing total myomectomy.METHODS We selected 100 patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy for uterine fibroids and randomized them into two groups:A control group receiving 0.2%ropivacaine plus 0.06 mg/mL of morphine and an observation group receiving 0.2%ropivacaine plus 0.3 mg/mL of diazoxide in their PCEA.Outcomes assessed included pain levels,sedation,recovery indices,PCEA usage,stress factors,and sleep quality.RESULTS The observation group showed lower visual analog scale scores,shorter postoperative recovery indices,fewer mean PCEA compressions,lower cortisol and blood glucose levels,and better polysomnographic parameters compared to the control group(P<0.05).The cumulative incidence of adverse reactions was lower in the observation group than in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Dezocine PCEA can effectively control the pain associated with total myomectomy,reduce the negative impact of stress factors,and have less impact on patients’sleep,consequently resulting in fewer adverse effects.

Regional anesthesia in a patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia:A case report

BACKGROUND Primary ciliary dyskinesia(PCD)is an inherited autosomal-recessive disorder of impaired mucociliary clearance characterized by chronic respiratory diseases,otolaryngological diseases,central nervous system abnormalities,reproductive system abnormalities,and cardiac function abnormalities.General anesthesia in these patients is associated with a higher incidence of respiratory complications than in patients without the disease.CASE SUMMARY A 16-year-old male patient was referred to the emergency room complaining of right ankle pain due to distal tibiofibular fracture.Three years prior,he had been diagnosed with PCD.At that time,he had experienced several episodes of pneumonia,sinusitis,and chronic middle ear infections,for which he underwent surgical interventions.At the current admission,he presented with cough and sputum but no other respiratory symptoms.A chest computed tomography scan revealed centrilobular ground-glass opacities in both lower lobes and a calcified nodule in the left lower lobe.For the surgical procedure and postoperative pain management,combined spinal-epidural anesthesia was employed.The patient’s postoperative pain score was measured by the numerical rating scale(NRS).On the day of surgery,his NRS was 5 points.By the second postoperative day,the NRS score had decreased to 2–3 points.The epidural catheter was removed on the fourth day following the operation.The patient was subsequently discharged no respiratory complications.CONCLUSION We performed combined spinal-epidural anesthesia in a patient with PCD.The patient experienced no additional respiratory complications and was discharged with a low NRS score for pain.

A Structured Method of Teaching Epidural Block reduces the incidence of accidental dural puncture in inexperienced trainees.

Background: The rate of accidental dural puncture is particularly high during the period of training, especially in novices. The structured epidural teaching model (SETM) includes three standardized video lessons, the construction of a 3D epidural module by trainees and practical training by using an epidural simulator with and without the CompuFlo™ Epidural instrument. In this study we report the retrospective analysis of the accidental dural puncture rate of inexperienced trainees during their 6 months clinical practice rotation in obstetrics before and after the introduction of the SETM in our Institution. Method: We evaluated the incidence of accidental dural puncture before the introduction of the SETM methodology and afterwards by analyzing our departmental database from February 2019 to January 2023. All epidural blocks were executed by trainees who had never previously performed an epidural block and were about to begin their obstetrics rotation. Results: We analyzed 7415 epidurals: 3703 were performed before the introduction of the SETM methodology (control group) and 3712 afterwards (study group). The incidence of accidental dural puncture was 0.37% for the control group and 0.13% for the study group (p<.05). The probability of making an accidental dural puncture was 64% (OR: 0.36) lower for trainees who had the training than for those who did not. Conclusions: After the introduction of the structured teaching method, we observed a significant reduction of accidental dural puncture during the training period. We hope that our observation will encourage a constructive discussion among experts about the need to use standardized and validated tools as a valuable aid in teaching epidural anesthesia.

Postoperative Analgesia and Cesarean Section under General Anesthesia: Multicenter Study

Background: Neuraxial anesthesia with intrathecal morphine is the reference technique in cesarean section anesthesia for the management of postoperative analgesia. If there is a contraindication to this, general anesthesia is required. The objective of the study was to evaluate the analgesic effectiveness of 4 analgesic techniques performed during cesarean section under general anesthesia in two centers with different anesthetic practices (North Franche Comté Hospital and Omar Bongo Ondimba Army Training Hospital). Method: This is a retrospective and descriptive study over 2 years, from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020. It involved evaluating the analgesic effectiveness and tolerance of morphine in the epidural catheter, wound infiltration, intravenous analgesia and Transversus Abdominous Plane block (TAP block) from the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) until the 4th post-operative day. Results: Of the 354 cesarean sections performed, 84 (11.14%) received general anesthesia. The average age was 32.27 years. Acute fetal distress was the first indication for cesarean section (45.2%), followed by hemorrhagic placenta previa (10.7%) and prolapse of the cord (8.33%). Morphine in the epidural catheter was the most used (47.6%) followed by parietal infiltration (36.9%), intravenous analgesia (13.1%) and TAP block (2.38%). The analgesic effectiveness was comparable between the techniques from postoperative day 0 to day 4. No difference in side effects. Postoperative morphine consumption was significantly reduced (p = 0.011) in the infiltration (9 mg) and TAP block (9mg) groups compared to the epidural catheter (16 mg) and intravenous analgesia (17 mg). No difference in 02 rehabilitation criteria (ambulation, first bowel movement). No difference in the occurrence of chronic pain. Conclusion: In the event of a cesarean section under general anesthesia, there are effective and well-tolerated alternatives to neuraxial anesthesia, particularly regional anesthesia techniques (nerve blocks), particularly in countries with low availability of morphine.

Comparative Study of Neurosurgical Complications of Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease

Introduction: Sickle cell disease and thalassemia are the most frequent hemoglobinopathies. During their evolution, they present certain complications, among which are two neurosurgical emergencies, namely spontaneous cranial epidural hematoma and non traumatic radiculo-medullary compression, with some particularities for each. Method: In order to highlight these particularities, we compared the characteristics of these two complications, from a number of publications reported between 2000 and 2021. Results: Sickle cell disease was complicated by spontaneous cranial epidural hematoma. Forty-two cases were reported, the mean age was 14.7 years (2 - 21 years) and the sex ratio was 6.4. The clinical presentation combined, in a non-traumatic context, signs of intracranial hypertension with those of neurological focalization. Neuroimaging showed epidural-type collection, often frontal and parietal in location. The incriminating mechanisms were ischemia, hemorrhage and extra medullary hematopoiesis. The treatment was surgical. Non traumatic radiculo-medullary was the complication of thalassemia. Of the 77 cases reported, the mean age was 27.5 years (9 - 66 years) and the sex ratio was 4.1. The lesions were epidural with a clear thoracic predominance and resulted from extra marrow hematopoiesis. Treatment included: hypertransfusion, radiotherapy, hydroxyurea and surgery. Vital and functional prognosis were globally satisfactory when the management was rapid. Conclusion: Cranial and spinal epidural lesions, respective complications of sickle cell disease and thalassemia, result from similar mechanisms. Their prognosis depends on the rapidity of management. .

Analgesic Effect of Combined Spinal-Epidural Anesthesia and its Effect on TNF-α and CRP Levels in Elderly Patients with Hip Fracture During Surgical Treatment

Objective:To observe the analgesic effect of combined spinal and epidural anesthesia on older patients undergoing hip fracture surgery.Method:One hundred and twenty elderly hip fracture surgery patients treated in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were selected and randomly divided into two groups,with 60 cases in the experimental group and 60 in the control group.The experimental group was given combined spinal-epidural anesthesia intervention measures,while the control group was given epidural anesthesia intervention measures.The analgesic effect,tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),C-reactive protein(CRP)levels,and other observation indicators were analyzed after anesthesia intervention.Result:After the intervention,the analgesic effect and the evaluation results of the subjects in the experimental group were better than those in the control group(P<0.05);the obtained values of TNF-αand CRP levels in the experimental group were higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:The combined spinal-epidural anesthesia intervention demonstrated positive outcomes.The analgesic effect of patients during surgery and their inflammatory factor levels improved,which makes this intervention worthy of clinical application and promotion.

Safety and effectiveness of electromyography-induced rehabilitation treatment after epidural electrical stimulation for spinal cord injury:study protocol for a prospective,randomized,controlled trial

Epidural electrical stimulation is a new treatment method for spinal cord injury(SCI).Its efficacy and safety have previously been reported.Rehabilitation treatment after epidural electrical stimulation is important to ensure and improve the postoperative efficacy of epidural electrical stimulation in patients with SCI.Considering that electromyography(EMG)-induced rehabilitation treatment can accurately match the muscle contraction of patients with SCI,we designed a study protocol for a prospective,randomized controlled trial.In this trial,on the premise of adjusting the spinal cord electrical stimulator to obtain the maximum EMG signal of the target muscle,patients with SCI receiving epidural electrical stimulation will undergo EMG-induced rehabilitation treatment.Recovery of muscle strength of key muscles,quality of life,safety and therapeutic effects will be monitored.Twenty patients with SCI who are scheduled to undergo epidural electrical stimulation in Shanghai Ruijin Rehabilitation Hospital will be randomly divided into two groups with 10 patients per group.The control group will receive conventional rehabilitation treatment.The EMG-induced rehabilitation group will receive EMG-induced rehabilitation treatment of the target muscles of the upper and lower limbs based on conventional rehabilitation treatment.After rehabilitation treatment,follow up for all patients will occur at 2 weeks and 1,3 and 6 months.The primary outcome measure of this trial will be evaluation of target muscle recovery using the Manual Muscle Testing grading scale.Secondary outcome measures will include modified Barthel Index scores,integrated EMG values,the visual analogue scale,Spinal Cord Independence Measure scores,and modified Ashworth scale scores.The safety indicator will be the incidence of adverse events.This trial will collect data regarding the therapeutic effects of EMG-induced rehabilitation in patients with SCI receiving epidural electrical stimulation for 6 months after rehabilitation treatment.Findings from this trial will help develop rehabilitation methods in patients with SCI after epidural electrical stimulation.This study protocol was approved by Ethics Committee of Shanghai Ruijin Rehabilitation Hospital(Approval No.RKIRB2022-12)on February 15,2022 and was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration number:ChiCTR2200061674;date:June 30,2022).Study protocol version:1.0.

Successful remimazolam sedation-epidural block in an older patient with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease:A case report

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide.Older patients have a degenerative cardiopulmonary function,weak compensatory capacity,and poor surgical tolerance.Therefore,the mode of anesthesia must be optimized.Remimazolam is a new ultrashort-acting benzodiazepine with a rapid onset of action,rapid metabolism,and mild effects on pulmonary circulation.Remimazolam sedation combined with an epidural block has not been reported in hypertensive older adults with severe COPD and inguinal mass resection.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 73-year-old man with hypertension and severe COPD,who underwent resection of an enlarged inguinal mass that he had noticed more than 7 mo before presentation.The patient presented with a“right inguinal mass”and was recommended to undergo an enlarged inguinal mass resection.Surgery was relatively challenging,due to the large mass(13 cm×8 cm×7 cm),hard texture,and poor mobility.Considering the advanced age of the patient,gradeⅢhypertension,and severe COPD,we administered remimazolam combined with an epidural block for anesthesia to ensure perioperative safety and careful consideration.The anesthetic effect was precise;the procedure was performed smoothly without any complications,and the patient was successfully anesthetized.However,anesthetic management in such cases has not yet been reported by previous studies.CONCLUSION Remimazolam sedation combined with an epidural block is safe and effective in older patients with hypertension and severe COPD.

Substance P promotes epidural fibrosis via induction of type 2 macrophages

In response to spinal surgery,neurons secrete a large amount of substance P into the epidural area.Substance P is involved in macrophage differentiation and fibrotic disease.However,the specific roles and mechanisms of substance P in epidural fibrosis remain unclear.In this study,we established a mouse model of L1–L3 laminectomy and found that dorsal root ganglion neurons and the macrophages infiltrating into the wound area released sphingolipids.In vitro experiments revealed that type 1 macrophages secreted substance P,which promoted differentiation of type 1 macrophages towards a type 2 phenotype.High-throughput mRNA-seq analysis revealed that the sphingolipid metabolic pathway may be involved in the regulation of type 2 macrophages by substance P.Specifically,sphingomyelin synthase 2,a component of the sphingolipid metabolic pathway,promoted M2 differentiation in substance P-treated macrophages,while treating the macrophages with LY93,a sphingomyelin synthase 2 inhibitor,suppressed M2 differentiation.In addition,substance P promoted the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps,which further boosted M2 differentiation.Blocking substance P with the neurokinin receptor 1 inhibitor RP67580 decreased the number of M2 macrophages in the wound area after spinal surgery and alleviated epidural fibrosis,as evidenced by decreased fibronectin,α-smooth muscle actin,and collagen I in the scar tissue.These results demonstrated that substance P promotes M2 macrophage differentiation in epidural fibrosis via sphingomyelin synthase 2 and neutrophil extracellular traps.These findings provide a novel strategy for the treatment of epidural fibrosis.

Anesthetic management of a pregnant patient with Eisenmenger’s syndrome:A case report

BACKGROUND Eisenmenger’s syndrome(ES)is a rare complication of congenital heart disease that includes pulmonary artery hypertension and reversed or bidirectional shunts.The mortality rate of pregnant women with ES is 30%-70%due to pathophysiological deterioration.Successful perioperative management of a pregnant patient with ES is a challenge for anesthesiologists.CASE SUMMARY A 38-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to the cardiology department of our hospital at 22 wk of gestation with complaints of chest tightness and shortness of breath for 3 wk.Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a bidirectional shunt between the descending aorta and pulmonary artery after interventional closure of the patent ductus arteriosus and severe pulmonary hypertension.ES in pregnancy was our primary suspicion.The patient elected to terminate the pregnancy under adequate preoperative preparation,rigorous intraoperative monitoring,and perfect epidural anesthesia.She was discharged successfully on postoperative day 16.CONCLUSION Our experience in this case suggests that successful outcomes are possible in pregnant patients with ES for termination of pregnancy under epidural anesthesia and intensive monitoring.

Compressive Myelopathy, Spinal Shock, and a Complicated Neurological Exam

The neurological examination, developed and tested since the 1800s has provided physicians with a vital tool to rapidly assess and provide clues to many of the pathological processes lurking inside the brain and spinal cord. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging, physicians are able to visualize the precise location of the abscess before surgical intervention. In this case report, we present a 51-year-old male with an epidural abscess with multifocal compressive myelopathy, resulting in a complicated neurological examination, making localization a diagnostic challenge. With this case, we would like to stress that complicated multifocal lesions of the cord may present with a large variation in examination findings. This patient’s neurological exam was complicated secondary to a ventrally as well as dorsally located epidural abscess with superimposed spinal shock sequelae. We would like to highlight the importance of a thorough history and the neurological examination but also mention some of its limitations. It is crucial to use clinical judgement to navigate the patient’s history, presentation, and examination to accurately diagnose and treat, particularly so in cases involving compressive myelopathies of the spinal cord.

Extensive Spinal Epidural Abscess: Cord Compression with Permanent Neurological Defects

Spinal epidural abscesses (SEA) are considerably rare and tend to present over two to five vertebral segments. Occasionally, there will be two or more noncontiguous areas of pyogenic collections [1]. Minimal cases have been reported to span the entire vertebral column;a meta-analysis estimates that 1% of all SEA are holospinal [2]. The triad of presenting symptoms includes fever, back pain (often midline), and neurologic defects [1] [2] [3]. Early detection is identified as a critical aspect of improved outcomes. Cases that do not present in this manner or with other masking symptoms can lead to delayed diagnosis, thus delaying treatment. In the event of cord compression, the occurrence of neurologic defects increases. Time from the onset of clinical manifestations to the operating room is crucial in reversing symptoms [2]. This article seeks to review a case of a 65-year-old male that presented to the emergency department (ED) due to a falling second to weakness and thigh pain. On presentation, he was also noted to have rhabdomyolysis causing acute kidney injury (AKI) with tubular necrosis. The patient was admitted to the hospital with a complex history of progressive leg weakness, pain in the lower back, incontinence, and elevated white blood cell count. Days into the admission, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study was performed, which revealed a continuous posterior SEA from C4 to S2 with anterior mass effect causing spinal cord compression. Emergency neurosurgery was scheduled for laminectomies in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine to drain the abscess. Evaluation of this complex medical course, surgical approach to drainage of an incessant spinal column abscess, and sustained neurologic defects will be discussed.

Is It Safe to Perform an Autologous Epidural Blood Patch on Patients with Underlying Spinal Stenosis or Lumbar Disc Disease? Case Report and Literature Review

The most common spinal pathology seen in the obstetric population is lumbar disc herniation. There is currently no literature documenting the safety of performing an epidural blood patch on obstetric patients with underlying spinal pathology. We present a case of a patient with known severe lumbar spinal stenosis with compressive radiculopathy who received a successful epidural blood patch without worsening her underlying neurologic symptoms. Epidural blood patches can be safely performed in this patient population. However, the anesthesiologist should be aware of the risk of potentially worsening preexisting neurological deficits. Thus, we advise caution prior to placing an epidural blood patch on these patients. The risks and benefits of the procedure should be carefully weighed and considered. It is important to have a thorough discussion with the patient regarding the risks of an epidural blood patch prior to performing the procedure.

Eye Movement Modeling Examples as a Teaching Tool for Epidural Block

Introduction: Video examples with task demonstrations by experts, with the expert’s eye movements superimposed on the task, are known as “eye movement modeling examples” (EMME). We performed this study to evaluate if there were improvements in the performance of anesthesia novice trainees when executing the epidural technique after an EMME of epidural block procedure. Methods: We developed an eye movement modeling example (EMME) from eye tracking recordings made by experienced anesthesiologists with more than 20 years of experience. Forty-two PGY3 anesthesia trainees who had never previously performed an epidural block were randomized to receive (study group) or not receive (control group) the EMME video before their institutional training. All the trainees were evaluated every 10 epidural blocks until the end of the rotation period, by an independent, blinded observer using the Global Rating Scale for Epidural Anesthesia (GRS). Results: Trainees who received the EMME training exhibited more respect for the patient’s tissues (P Discussion: This is the first study that has used the EMME for a practical, clinical teaching purpose on real patients and that has used it as an aid in teaching epidural anesthesia. We demonstrated that inexperienced trainees who received the EMME training improved their proficiency at epidural blocks as compared to those who had no EMME training beforehand. Given this result, we welcome further studies to investigate the impact and the role of EMME on clinical teaching in the field of anesthesia.

Epidural Blood Patches Performed with Miethke Sensor Reservoir for Continuous Intracranial Pressure Monitoring

An epidural blood patch (EBP) is a procedure performed by injecting autologous blood into a patient’s epidural space, usually at the site of a suspected CSF leak. It is typically performed in patients with characteristic postural headaches due to low intracranial pressure. We report a case of a young female with an implanted Miethke Sensor Reservoir, which was used for continuous intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring during a two-level epidural blood patch. ICP increased only with thoracic injection, suggesting thoracic EBP may have greater efficacy than lumbar EBP in treating SIH and PDPH when the site of CSF leak is unknown.

罗哌卡因用于腰硬联合麻醉及其扩散的研究进展

腰硬联合麻醉（combined spinal and epidural anesthesia,CSEA）是将脊麻和硬膜外阻滞联合起来的一种麻醉方法,腰硬联合麻醉具有蛛网膜下腔阻滞麻醉和硬膜外麻醉各自不同的优点,如迅速起效、阻滞完全、可以硬膜外追加给药、并且可用于良好硬膜外术后镇痛。临床上常应用于腹部的手术,特别是下腹部,骨盆和下肢手术,是一种很有前途的麻醉技术。