title: Appearance of procaine in spinal fluid during segmental epidural analgesia in cows.
abstract: The concentration of procaine in the CSF of 10 adult nonpregnant cows was determined after epidural injection of 5% procaine hydrochloride solution. Samples of CSF were removed through a catheter introduced into the subarachnoid space at the lumbosacral intervertebral space and advanced craniad to the same level as the epidural injection site. The position and the location of the catheter and spinal needle were confirmed radiographically. Segmental analgesia was achieved 8 to 20 minutes after completing the procaine hydrochloride injection and extended between spinal cord segments T12 and L3 on one or both sides of the animal. The average duration of analgesia, as determined by response to superficial and deep muscular pinpricks at the L1 dermatome, was 81.3 +/- 22.8 minutes (min-max, 45-127 minutes). The average subarachnoid concentration of procaine 10 minutes after epidural injection was 120.4 +/- 42.9 microgram/ml. The highest average procaine concentration recorded was 160.7 +/- 63.7 microgram/ml at 25.0 +/- 6.7 minutes after injection. Average procaine concentration was 47.8 +/- 13.5 microgram/ml at cessation of analgesia. A similar concentration of procaine was recovered from the subarachnoid space during either unilateral or bilateral analgesia. Procaine was not found in arterial plasma after the epidural administration of procaine hydrochloride. Subarachnoid threshold concentrations of local anesthetic necessary to produce spinal analgesia were reached after repeated epidural injections, but not after a single administration. It is concluded that segmental epidural analgesia is principally due to anesthesia of dura-covered nerve roots within and outside the epidural space and is minimally, if at all, dependent on the production of analgesia of nerves within the subarachnoid space.
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000378:metabolism; D004824:Epidural Space / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007267:Injections / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D011343:Procaine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000378:metabolism; D013346:Subarachnoid Space / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011343:Procaine