Obstetric anesthesia
Spinal anesthesia is given nearer the spinal cord than an epidural, so it works quicker and produces a strong block with a smaller dose of freezing. One injection produces numbness of the lower half of the body for about three hours and by adding morphine pain relief can last up to 24 hours after surgery. This is the anesthetic recommended for Cesarean section.
Epidural anesthesia is usually used if there is already an epidural in place for pain relief in labour. An extra top-up of stronger medicine can be used to provide the pain relief needed for surgery.
Combined Spinal Epidural (CSE)
This technique combines the benefits of the long popular epidural anesthesia with the additional benefits of spinal injection. Technically,
…show more content…
Classically, making patients have full relief from contraction pain within 2-4 minutes after injection. Additional advantage is that the small quantity of drug generally results in little or no motor blockade of the lower extremities. The capability to retain motor power is of great benefit if the patient wishes to ambulate throughout labor. Furthermore, the ability to push is retained if the block is administered in late stages of labor, which permits minimal interfering with expulsive forces during the second stage of labor. The spinal injection is duration-limited: most of these blocks will be effective for unevenly two hours. The presence of the epidural catheter allows for further drug administration to extend the duration of the pain relief for as long as necessary throughout labor. Rapid onset of pain relief and the flexibility of the epidural catheter made CSE a very popular choice in many obstetric units nowadays. Maternal fulfillment is very high, and the added cost of the technique is …show more content…
The majority of these blocks are performed with very small-gauge needles; thus, the headache rate is generally < 1%. Opioid-induced pruritus and nausea are seen in roughly 20% to 40% of patients, but these side effects are typically mild, well tolerated, and temporary. Additional serious side effects such as respiratory depression are unusual.
Serious complications - These include getting infection, a blood clot, or the wrong drug in the back, all of which could cause paralysis. Injecting a large dose of local anesthetic into a vein can cause convulsions or cardiac arrest.
General anaesthesia
Some people suffer nausea and vomiting after general anesthesia. The tube may cause a sore throat. Serious problemsare mainly related to difficulty inserting the breathing tube after the sleep drugs have been given. This can lead to lack of oxygen to the brain or to the spilling of stomach contents into the lungs. Both of these complications could cause death. Pregnant women are at increased risk of these problems as they have smaller lungs, use up oxygen faster, and often have full stomachs.
Comparison between different types of anaesthesia
1. Systemic analgesia
1. Given when contractions become stronger and more