Epidural Anesthesia
What is epidural anesthesia?
Epidural anesthesia, which is also known as anesthesia of the nerve roots, is used to numb the nerve roots exit the spinal cord. This is done by injecting a local anesthetic or an analgesic (pain medication). It is commonly used during childbirth to ease the pain of it, and has recently been introduced also use surgery to prevent pain that occurs after certain interventions and to reduce complications such as chest infections and thrombosis in the legs lack of mobility.
During labor, epidural anesthesia usually begins when there are contractions and is given 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.How does an epidural?
An epidural blocks the nerves that reach the uterus or other body parts, depending on the level where they are made. These nerve roots are in a space surrounding the spinal cord called the epidural space. It is housed within the spine just outside the outer covering of the spinal cord.
How do you put an epidural?
The epidural always puts an anesthesiologist. The epidural space was located by a thin, hollow needle, usually at the bottom of the spine, and after application of local anesthetic to the skin. Then insert in space a small plastic tube through the needle and the needle is removed, leaving the tube in place. This tube is usually connected to an automatic pump infusion which is adjusted to supply continuously, until no longer required, a certain amount of local anesthetic and analgesics in the epidural space.
credit to: Dr. Niels Lund, Dr. Gordon F. N. Smith, Dr. Carlos Alberto Hernández Araque
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