Introduction: Local anaesthetics (LA) are commonly used in dental and surgical emergency wards by both anaesthesia professionals and non-anaesthesia professionals. Anecdotal evidence shows that non-anaesthesia health-care professionals do not monitor vital signs during the use of local anaesthesia, and there are no standard hospital guidelines on the use of LA and management of LA toxicity by non-anaesthesia professionals. Purpose: This study sought to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding local anaesthetic use among non-anaesthesia health-care professionals at Mulago National Referral Hospital. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that utilized a quantitative research approach. The sample size of the study was 43 non-anaesthesia healthcare professionals from the casualty and surgical outpatient wards and Mulago dental ward. Data was collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using STATA 15. Results: Overall, 66.67% of the Specialist, 76.47% of the senior house officers, 100% of medical officers, and 80% of the clinical orthopedic house officers had unsatisfactory levels of knowledge in Mulago casualty and surgical outpatient wards. 20% of the specialist and 16.67% of the senior house officers had unsatisfactory levels of knowledge in Mulago dental ward. 87.5% of the non-anaesthesia health-care professionals do not give a test dose on a routine basis in Mulago casualty and surgical outpatient wards. A total of 63.64% of the non-anaesthesia healthcare professionals in Mulago dental ward do not sterilize the site of injection. Conclusion: Non-anaesthesia health-care professionals had unsatisfactory levels of knowledge, somewhat good practices, and negative attitudes toward LA use.
Summary. Emergency exploratory laparotomy conducted under continuous spinal anesthesia using a standard epidural set following an accidental dural puncture. Background and Objectives. Continuous spinal anesthesia is one of the least utilized regional anesthesia techniques globally. It could be an alternative anesthesia technique for abdominal and lower limb surgeries following an accidental dural puncture. The aim of this report was to describe a case in which continuous spinal anesthesia was successfully conducted for emergency exploratory laparotomy following an accidental dural puncture during epidural placement. Case Report. A 38-year-old male presented to our accident and emergency unit with a one-day history of colicky abdominal pain associated with constipation, abdominal distension, and vomiting. He was diagnosed with intestinal obstruction and underwent an emergency exploratory laparotomy under continuous spinal anesthesia using a standard epidural set following an accidental dural puncture. Conclusion. This case demonstrates that in case of an accidental dural puncture during epidural placement, the catheter can be advanced into the intrathecal space and continuous spinal anesthesia conducted for abdominal surgeries using a standard epidural catheter.
