title: Epidural catheter insertion: the effect of saline prior to threading in non-obstetric patients.
abstract: The effects of injecting normal saline 4 ml through the epidural needle before catheter passage on ease of catheterisation and incidence of certain complications were investigated in 189 non-obstetric patients. The use of saline had no effect on ease of catheterisation, with 84.2% of Group S patients (saline, n = 95) and 88.3% of Group C patients (control, n = 94) having the difficulty of passing the catheter rated as "easy" (P = 0.31). The incidence of complications was not affected by the use of saline. Paraesthesia occurred in 27.4% of Group S patients compared with 16.0% of Group C patients (P = 0.08). Epidural venous cannulation occurred in 6.3% of Group S patients versus 11.7% of Group C patients (P = 0.30). We conclude that the use of 5 ml of normal saline prior to catheter threading provides no significant benefit in improving the ease of catheterisation or decreasing the incidence of catheter complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Beilby
mesh_terms: D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004824:Epidural Space; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride