What is a regional anesthetic?

What is a regional anesthetic?

Regional anesthesia makes a specific part of the body numb to relieve pain or allow surgical procedures to be done. Types of regional anesthesia include spinal anesthesia (also called subarachnoid block), epidural anesthesia, and nerve blocks.

What is spinal anesthesia?

Spinal anesthesia is a neuraxial anesthesia technique in which local anesthetic is placed directly in the intrathecal space (subarachnoid space). The subarachnoid space houses sterile cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the clear fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord.

What happens regional anesthesia?

For regional anesthesia, an anesthetic is injected close to a nerve, a bundle of nerves, or the spinal cord. In rare cases, nerve damage can cause persistent numbness, weakness, or pain. Regional anesthesia also carries the risk of systemic toxicity if the anesthetic is absorbed through the bloodstream into the body.

What drugs are used in regional anesthesia?

Local anesthetics and opioids are the most commonly used drugs in regional anesthesia. Several other drugs are used as adjuvants in addition to local anesthetics.

What are the indications of spinal anesthesia?

Indications

• Orthopaedic surgery on the pelvis, hip, femur, knee, tibia, and ankle, including arthroplasty and joint replacement.
• Vascular surgery on the legs.
• Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.
• Hernia (inguinal or epigastric)
• Haemorrhoidectomy.
• Nephrectomy and cystectomy in combination with general anaesthesia.

Which complication is associated with spinal anesthesia?

Cardiac arrest and perioperative death Bradycardia and cardiac arrest are the most worrisome complications related to spinal anaesthesia. The incidence of these conditions has been observed to be higher with spinal block in comparison with general anaesthesia.

How is epidural analgesia administered?

Short-term epidural analgesia is achieved by inserting a needle in the epidural space and injecting analgesics, or by threading a catheter through the needle and using it to administer analgesics. It’s used to manage postoperative pain, procedural pain, trauma pain, or labor pain.

Does epidural anesthesia and analgesia reduce postoperative morbidity?

On the other hand, numerous studies have demonstrated that epidural anesthesia and analgesia reduces perioperative physiologic responses in addition to providing pain relief. However, effects of epidural anesthesia and analgesia on postoperative morbidity remain controversial.

What is the role of epidural blockade in general anaesthetic surgery?

Epidural blockade provides a useful adjuvant to GA for procedures within the thoracic cavity, such as lung and esophageal surgery.

Does perioperative analgesia improve outcome?

Perioperative pain is a potent trigger for the stress response, activates the autonomic system, [3] and is thought to be an indirect cause of adverse effects on various organ systems. [4-7] Thus, the theory has arisen that effective analgesia may improve patient outcome.