Continuous Spinal Anesthesia with Spinocath® Catheter. A Retrospective Analysis of 455 Orthopedic Elderly Patients in the past 17 years Volume 4 - Issue 1

Luiz Eduardo Imbelloni¹*, Marildo A. Gouveia², Geraldo Borges de Morais Filho³, Jaime Weslei Sakamoto¹, Eduardo Piccinini Viana¹ and André Augusto de Araujo¹

• ¹Anesthesiologist of Hospital Clínicas Municipal de São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
• ²Ex-President Latin America Society Regional Anesthesia, Brazil
• ³Master in Labour Economics, Brazil

Received: May 11, 2020;   Published: May 20, 2020

Corresponding author: Luiz Eduardo Imbelloni, Anesthesiologist of Hospital Clínicas Municipal de São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, SP - Brazil.

DOI: 10.32474/OSMOAJ.2020.04.000178

 

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Abstract

Background and Objectives: Database analysis in general cost less and require less time as compared to large randomized controlled trials. This retrospective study with a catheter outside the cutting-tip needle for continuous spinal anesthesia for femur and hip surgery in elderly patients from 1998 to 2015, with the aim of determine possible advantages and disadvantages of this technique.

Methods: Anesthetic records of 455 patients receiving continuous spinal anesthesia over a 17-year period were analyzed retrospectively. All blockades were performed with patients in the left lateral position and by the two authors. Doses of 0.5% isobaric bupivacaine were administered according to the patient’s height. Evaluated parameters were: puncture success, highest level of anesthesia, lower limb motor block, quality of anesthesia, need for additional doses, failures incidence, paresthesia, postdural puncture headache, cardiovascular changes, mental confusion and delirium, blood transfusion and mortality.

Results: Seven patients were excluded for failure to puncture and accidental perforation of the duramater. The mean time for puncture and placement of the catheter was 2.66±1.03 min. The kit was easy to use in 376 patients and difficult in 42 patients. In all patients the catheter was inserted from 1 to 2 cm in the subarachnoid space. The mode of dispersion cephalad analgesia was T12. In 360 patients, the initial dose was sufficient to reach T12 and 88 patients required to supplement the dose. Mean isobaric bupivacaine initial dose was 7.74±1.78 mg and total dose was 8.58±2.60 mg. Hypotension occurred in 32 patients and bradycardia in 21 patients. Low intensity headache lasting for 3 days has been observed in seven patients. There has been no cauda equina syndrome or transient radicular irritation. Mental confusion occurred in 29 patients.

Conclusions: Our results with 455 patients over 17 years suggest that continuous spinal anesthesia with the catheter outside the needle for elderly orthopedic patient’s shows minor insertion problem, a low incidence of hypotension, paresthesia and headache. No neurological complications were observed, such as cauda equina syndrome or transient neurological symptoms.

Keywords: Anesthetics; Local: Isobaric Bupivacaine; Anesthetic Techniques; Regional: Continuous Spinal Block; Surgery; Orthopedic

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