Thoracic epidural anesthesia in sepsis--is it harmful or protective?
Research interest in epidural anesthesia during sepsis has grown over the past years and studies have tried to determine its mechanisms, which should, theoretically, protect organs and reduce morbidity and mortality. However, different experimental approaches in different animal models have provided conflicting results over whether epidural anesthesia has protective or harmful effects and whether these alter depending on the phase of sepsis, the spread of epidural anesthesia or additional supportive therapies. In the future, more standardized research is necessary to integrate the results of all studies, which have been published.
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Hetzelstift Hospital Neustadt/Weinstrasse, Stiftstrasse 10, D-67434 Neustadt/Weinstrasse, Germany. christian.mutz@uni-rostock.de
Christian
C
Mutz
Dierk A
DA
Vagts
D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016638:Critical Illness; D006801:Humans; D018805:Sepsis; D013909:Thorax
D000779:Anesthetics, Local