Essay On Epidural Anesthesia

By Jonas Wilson, Ing. Med. Epidural Anesthesia Side Effects

Epidural anesthesia is a mode of anesthesia that numbs the body below the level of the umbilicus. The primary goals of epidurals are to eliminate pain and sensation to the areas in question. Local anesthetics are injected into the epidural space, which is found with the help of bony landmarks on the lower back. These agents block impulses that are transmitted by the nerves before ever reaching the brain where they are usually processed. The onset of anesthesia is typically within a few minutes and lasts for an hour or two if not maintained with further doses.

It is a rather easy to perform procedure and is, in most cases, highly reliable. It may be administered via a single injector
However, there are some risks involved. For instance, some patients may experience a drop in blood pressure. Therefore, this parameter is cautiously checked during the process. Other patients are at risk for experiencing backaches sometimes up to several months after undergoing an epidural. Backache may be associated with the relaxation of the muscles that occurs after the epidural or it may be due to the birthing process. Evidence of the latter is seen in women who gave birth without receiving epidural anesthesia.

There is a risk that a patient may experience itching due to the components of the epidural anesthetics. If this itching is intractable, alternative agents or modes of anesthesia may be need to be taken into consideration. In addition to this, there is a risk of infection not only at the puncture site, but also with bladder catheterization, which is necessary, because patients lose control of the bladder and as a consequence need to be catheterized so that the bladder may drain without problems. Some patients may experience uneven relief of pain, which may be countered by additional dosing of the epidural anesthetic. Vomiting is also a risk factor, but is much less of a concern with epidural than it is with general