title: Difficult removal of a wire-reinforced epidural catheter.
abstract: We report a case of epidural catheter shearing, an uncommon complication of removal of a wire-reinforced epidural catheter. The catheter was removed without incident, and with the tip intact, after we allowed the patient to relax for 3 hours, placing the patient in the lateral decubitus position, and placing continuous tension on the catheter itself so as to let it "work its way out".
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Harold L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Pierre
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002404:Catheterization; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy