title: Epidural catheters. Breaking and extraction forces.
abstract: The forces required to break and to remove catheters from epidural spaces were investigated. Provided the patient's back is fully flexed and a slow steady pull is applied to the epidural catheter, the extraction forces required at both thoracic and lumbar levels are well below the minimum force required to break the same catheters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans