View clinical trials related to Analgesia, Epidural.
Filter by:Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is one of the most common complications after surgery and neuraxial anesthesia of which the treatment of choice is bladder catheterization 1. It has been a common practice to place an indwelling catheter in the bladder in patients receiving epidural analgesia and to leave the catheter as long as the epidural analgesia is maintained despite a lack of evidence supporting this approach. Transurethral catheterization is associated with significant morbidity such as patient discomfort, urethral trauma and urinary tract infections (UTI). Prolonged catheterization is the primary risk factor for catheter associated UTI (CAUTI), which is one of the most common nosocomial infections and can prolong hospitalisation 2. For this reason there is a growing focus on limiting the duration of catheterization and finding methods to avoid unnecessary catheterization in perioperative medicine 3,4. Lower urinary tract function depends on coordinated actions between the detrusor muscle and the external urethral sphincter. Motorneurons of both muscles are located in the sacral spinal cord between L1 and S4. Most afferent fibers from the bladder enter the sacral cord through the pelvic nerve at segments L4-S2. Because epidural analgesia can be performed at various levels of the spinal cord, it is possible to block only a portion of the spinal cord (segmental blockade). Based on the innervation of the bladder and sphincter between L1 and S4 it can be assumed that epidural analgesia within segments T4-6 to T10-12 has no or minimal influence on lower urinary tract function. In a previous study, we found, against our expectations that thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) significantly inhibits the detrusor muscle during voiding, resulting in clinically relevant post-void residuals which required monitoring or catheterisation 5. Because the study adopted a before-after design, we could not definitively identify the mechanisms responsible for this change in bladder function. In particular, we could not determine whether TEA per se or surgery was the main cause. Concerning TEA, it remains unclear which compounds of the solution, the local anesthetic, the opioid or both are responsible for the observed changes in lower urinary tract function. The aim of this study is to compare lower urinary tract function before and during TEA with two different epidural solutions (group 1: bupivacaine 1.25 mg/ml vs group 2: bupivacaine 1.25 mg/ml combined with fentanyl 2 µg/ml) within segments T4-6 to T10-12 for postoperative pain treatment in patients undergoing lumbotomy for open renal surgery. We expect that a better understanding of lower urinary tract function during TEA could lead to a more restrictive use of indwelling transurethral catheters perioperatively.
The introduction of local anesthetics and other medications into the epidural space is a principal technique in provision of anesthesia in many procedures. Typically the anesthetist accesses the epidural space blindly using palpation and visualization of external landmarks and then uses a needle to get to the epidural space. The investigators propose a prospective study of use of ultrasound in a large heterogeneous group of surgical candidates to define the relationship between the actual needle depth (ND) to the epidural space and measured ultrasound depth (UD). Establishing correctly the depth to the epidural space via ultrasound is a component of ultrasound imaging that might improve current technique, and might lead to faster performance of the epidural. Use of ultrasound may also improve the efficacy and safety of epidural placement. The null hypothesis of this study is that ultrasound depth is similar to the needle depth in adult non parturient patients undergoing lumbar and thoracic epidurals. A parturient in this case is defined as a female currently near or going through labor.
In a prospective randomised study involving primiparous women in spontaneous uncomplicated labour with cervical dilatation > 7 cm, epidural analgesia will be given with an initial volume of 20 mL anaesthetic solution, followed by a standardised algorithm of top-up manual injections to achieve analgesia, then by a patient-controlled regimen with 5-mL self-administered boli in addition to a continuous infusion of 5 mL.hr-1. The anaesthetic solution will be levobupivacaine presented in 100-mL bags from the market, 0.0625%, or 0.125%, in which 10 mL (50 µg) of sufentanil will be added. The final concentrations will be 0.568 and 1.136 mg.mL-1 respectively, both with sufentanil 0.45 µg.mL-1. Parturients and midwifes assessing pain during labour will be blinded to the design
Epidural chloroprocaine is often used in obstetrical anesthesia because of its fast onset and short duration. These properties make it an ideal drug to use for epidural anesthesia in patients undergoing postpartum tubal ligation. When epidural morphine is given after chloroprocaine, there is a decreased efficacy of analgesia as compared to lidocaine (1). Several studies have hypothesized a specific opioid receptor mediated antagonism of chloroprocaine (2,3). Karambelkar raised the question whether this decreased efficacy is due to a disparity between the time the chloroprocaine anesthesia resolves and the onset of epidural morphine analgesia, resulting in a time window of pain (2). The duration of action of epidural 2-CP anesthesia is 30-45 minutes and the onset of epidural morphine analgesia is 60-70 minutes, therefore the regression of sensory blockade before the onset of the morphine analgesia could result in a window of pain (2). Hess and colleagues studied epidural morphine analgesia and women who had a Cesarean delivery under spinal bupivacaine anesthesia (3). Subjects were randomized to receive epidural 2-CP and morphine or epidural saline and morphine. There was no difference in postoperative analgesia between the two groups (3 and personal communication, Dr. Philip Hess). A literature search cross referencing epidural chloroprocaine, using Pub Med, did not produce any articles comparing epidural morphine given before the procedure (in an attempt to time the onset of analgesia with the resolution of chloroprocaine anesthesia) to the standard administration time after the procedure.
Infection after epidural catheter placement is fortunately rare. When it does happen, the affected person can become seriously ill. This study examines which skin disinfectant, chlorhexidine or povidone-iodine, decreases the number of bacteria that can be grown from the skin washed with each disinfectant prior to placing an epidural catheter for pain control in labour.