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.

Preprocedure ultrasound imaging combined with palpation technique in epidural labor analgesia

BACKGROUND For parturients with paroxysmal uterine contraction pain,rapid analgesia is needed.We used preprocedure ultrasound imaging combined with the palpation technique in epidural analgesia for labor,and evaluated the usefulness of this technique in epidural labor analgesia.AIM To evaluate the usefulness of preprocedure ultrasound imaging in epidural analgesia for labor.METHODS In this prospective randomized observational study,72 parturients were assigned to two groups(combined or palpation group).The target interspace of all parturients was first identified by the palpation technique.Then in the combined group,preprocedure ultrasound imaging was used before epidural puncture.In the palpation group,only the traditional anatomical landmarks technique(palpation technique)was performed.The primary outcome was total duration of the epidural procedure(for the ultrasound group,the duration of the preprocedure ultrasound imaging was included).The secondary outcomes were the number of skin punctures,the success rate at first needle pass,the number of needle passes,the depth from the skin to epidural space,and the complications of the procedure.RESULTS Total duration of the epidural procedure was similar between the two groups(406.5±92.15 s in the combined group and 380.03±128.2 s in the palpation group;P=0.318).A significant improvement was demonstrated for epidural puncture and catheterization in the combined group.The number of needle passes was 1.14 in the combined group and 1.72 in the palpation group(P=0.001).The number of skin puncture sites was 1.20 in the combined group and 1.25 in the palpation group(P=0.398).The success rate at first needle pass was 88.89%in the combined group and 66.67%in the palpation group(P=0.045).CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that the total duration of epidural procedures with preprocedure ultrasound imaging combined with the palpation technique was not longer than the traditional anatomical landmarks technique,which were performed by six experienced anesthesiologists in parturients with normal weights undergoing labor analgesia.

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.