Understanding Anesthesiology - The Global Regional Anesthesia ...

Figure 14 Sensory dermatomes
tion in the required volume of LA delivered to achieve
the desired block. In general, volumes in the range of
10-20 ml are required for most procedures.
Complications of epidural anesthesia can present in the
early or late post-operative periods. The early complications
are related either to incorrect catheter placement
(LA toxicity, or “total spinal” block), to excessive volume
of LA delivered (high block, with hypotension, bradycardia,
respiratory compromise), or to the unavoidable
blockade of sympathetic fibres (hypotension, bradycardia).
Late complications are related to needle and
catheter insertion, and include nerve injury, epidural
abcess or hematoma, and post-dural puncture headache
(if the dura is accidentally punctured).
The contraindications to epidural and spinal anesthesia
are identical, and are listed in Table 11.
Public domain image derived from Gray’s Anatomy.
Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
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