Extensive application of epidural anesthesia and analgesia in a university hospital: incidence of complications related to technique.
OBJECTIVE
The authors report the role of epidural anesthesia and analgesia (EAA) and the incidence of epidural puncture-related complications in a university hospital in Japan.


METHODS
Epidural anesthesia and analgesia was the major (39.7%) technique when administering 40,010 anesthetics. For the upper and the lower abdominal procedures, EAA was the major anesthetic technique in 79.5%, and 71.1% of these were carried out without potent inhaled anesthetics or long-acting muscle relaxants, and without endotracheal intubation.


RESULTS
Epidural anesthesia and analgesia-related complications included failure to produce anesthesia on the first attempt (4.1%), bleeding/intravascular cannulation (0.67%), unintentional dural puncture (0.61%), paresthesia (0.16%), and local anesthetic toxicity (0.12%).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of EAA-related complications was greater with lumbar than with thoracic puncture. Four patients had transient neuropathy related to epidural puncture, but no serious neurologic complications occurred.
Tanaka
K
K
Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan.
Watanabe
R
R
Harada
T
T
Dan
K
K
D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D004824:Epidural Space; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011677:Punctures / Q000009:adverse effects