title: Radiological examination of the intrathecal position of microcatheters in continuous spinal anaesthesia.
abstract: There have been few studies of the intrathecal position of spinal catheters in continuous spinal anaesthesia. This prospective study was designed to examine radiologically the intrathecal position of 28-gauge spinal catheters. We studied the entry into the subarachnoid space and the intrathecal position of 68 spinal catheters. In 50%, the catheters passed in a cranial direction, in 34% the catheters remained at the level of the puncture site and in 16% the catheters were directed caudally. The intrathecal position of the catheters did not depend on the level of the lumbar puncture (P = 0.6246), but was dependent on the position of the patient during insertion of the catheter (P = 0.0093), and on the depth of insertion (P = 0.0099). Our study suggests that patients should be in a sitting position during insertion of a subarachnoid microcatheter and that the depth of insertion should not exceed 4 cm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Standl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000379:methods*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging