Serious complications associated with spinal and epidural anaesthesia in Finland from 2000 to 2009.

BACKGROUND: Analyses of closed claims provide insight into the characteristics of rare complications. Serious complications related to spinal and epidural blocks are relatively rare. In Finland, all malpractice cases are primarily handled by the Patient Insurance Centre (PIC) within a 'no-fault scheme'. METHODS: All claims attributed to central neuraxial blocks and settled by the PIC during the period, 2000-2009 were analysed. The number of spinal and epidural procedures performed during this time was estimated based on a questionnaire sent to all surgical hospitals in Finland in 2009, surveying the numbers and types of neuraxial blocks carried out in 2008. RESULTS: During the study period, 216 closed claims were flagged with spinal or epidural blocks. In 41 of 216 instances, the neuraxial block was apparently responsible for a serious (fatal or critical or lasting >1 year) complication. These included six fatalities and 13 epidural haematomata (two in conjunction with fondaparinux, three with excessive doses of low molecular weight heparins, six where present guidelines were not observed). Fatalities occurred in 1 : 775,000 spinals for surgery, 1 : 62,000 in epidurals for surgery or acute pain relief, 1 : 12,000 epidurals for chronic pain relief, 1 : 89,000 in combined spinal and epidural for surgery, and 1 : 144,000 epidurals for labour. The incidence of neuraxial haematoma after spinal block was 1 : 775,000, that for epidural block 1 : 26,400, and in the case of combined spinal and epidural, 1 : 17,800. Irrespective of the method of neuraxial technique, the majority of patients suffering serious complications were the elderly having comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: In this closed claims analysis, major problems related to neuraxial blocks were rare. Epidural or a combined spinal and epidural technique resulted in more complications than did spinal procedure.

The importance of interrupting angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor treatment before spinal anaesthesia--a controlled case report.

It is generally believed that in hypertensive patients both beta adrenoreceptor antagonists and calcium channel blockers can be continued up to the day of surgery without provoking problems with cardiovascular stability intra- and postoperatively. The same, however, has not been definitively established for angiotension converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs). A patient who was taking the ACAI enalapril for hypertension underwent two similar operations--right total hip replacement and three years later left--both with spinal anaesthesia. In the initial case, she received her enalapril on the morning of surgery, while for the second procedure, enalapril was stopped 48 hours earlier. Hypotension occurred which required more than 5 times the dose of etilefrin to maintain suitable blood pressure during the first instance as compared to that when enalapril had been discontinued 48 hours earlier. Spinal anaesthesia in conjunction with an ACEI may result in severe hypotension as seen in this patient. In view of this, it is suggested that in contrast to other antihypertenisve drugs, ACEIs should be withdrawn well in advance of spinal anaesthesia.

Severe complications associated with epidural and spinal anaesthesias in Finland 1987-1993. A study based on patient insurance claims [see comment].

BACKGROUND: The Patient Injury Act has been in effect in Finland since 1 May 1987. This legislation is a no-fault compensation scheme and implies that if a patient during the course of medical treatment suffers any injury as a result of that treatment he or she may file a claim to the Patient Insurance Association (PIA). From 1 May 1987 to 31 December 1993, 23,500 claims for compensation were made. METHODS: All claims made to PIA involving spinal and epidural anaesthesias during the above period were collected and reviewed and a data base was prepared. The total number of anaesthetics given during this period was estimated by sending questionnaires to every hospital in the country. RESULTS: Eighty-six claims were associated with spinal and/or epidural anaesthesia. Respectively, the total the number of spinal and epidural anaesthesias administered was 550,000 and 170,000. There were 25 serious complications associated with spinal anaesthesia: cardiac arrests (2), paraplegia (5), permanent cauda equina syndrome (1), peroneal nerve paresis (6), neurological deficits (7), and bacterial infections (4). The 9 serious complications which were associated with epidural anaesthesia were: paraparesis (1), permanent cauda equina syndrome (1), peroneal nerve paresis (1), neurological deficit (1), bacterial infections (2), acute toxic reactions related to the anaesthetic solution (2), and overdose of epidural opioid (1). CONCLUSIONS: According to this material the incidence of serious complications was 0.45:10,000 following spinal and 0.52:10,000 following epidural anaesthesia. Atraumatic technique, careful patient selection and early diagnosis and treatment of complications are essential in avoiding permanent injury.

Leg and back pain after spinal anaesthesia involving hyperbaric 5% lignocaine.

Fifty-four patients, aged 27-90 years, who were given lignocaine 5% in 6.8% glucose solution for spinal anaesthesia were studied. Thirteen of these patients experienced pain in the legs and/or back after recovery from anaesthesia. The patients affected were younger (p < 0.05) and the site of the dural puncture was higher (p < 0.01) than those individuals without pain. Five of the 13 patients (38%) with pain and seven of the 41 patients (17%) without pain admitted to a high alcohol intake, which might be a contributing factor. Leg and/or back pain is associated with the intrathecal use of hyperbaric 5% lignocaine.

A comparison of the accuracy of the Siemens injection vaporizer and the Enfluratec 3 vaporizer.

The accuracy of two Siemens injection vaporizers was examined under operating theatre conditions. For comparison, two Enfluratec 3 vaporizers were tested. The concentrations of enflurane produced by the vaporizers were measured both by an anaesthetic agent monitor and by chromatography. Five experimental modes were used with enflurane delivered either in air/oxygen or in nitrous oxide/oxygen mixtures and the experiments were repeated five times. In every case, the mean concentration values produced by the anaesthetic agent monitor were higher than those obtained by chromatography. The difference may have been due to leakage of the gas sample from the "gas-tight" syringes and/or improper calibration of either analyzer. The Siemens devices were less reliable than the Enfluratecs when enflurane was given in nitrous oxide/oxygen. The former vaporizers seem to be less robust than the Enfluratecs and should be used according to the manufacturer's recommendations. The pressures in the central system were higher than those called for. In addition, improper coupling of the Siemens apparatus to the ventilator may well have influenced the results.

A comparative study of intravenous and rectal administration of propofol in piglets.

To compare the effectiveness of propofol given intravenously and rectally, ten piglets received propofol intravenously. On the next day, the same piglets and five other piglets were given suppositories containing propofol. Serial blood samples were collected for the analysis of propofol plasma concentration. The time course of the total plasma drug concentration was fitted into a bi-exponential function using a least square fitting regression computer programme. The volume of distribution was 2.5-2.8 l.kg-1, mean elimination half-life, 23.9 min and mean clearance 0.08 l.kg-1.min-1. The mean bioavailability by the rectal route was low. In contrast to the intravenously administered propofol, none of the piglets slept when given propofol rectally, reflecting the extremely low plasma propofol concentration. In veterinary medicine, propofol would seem to be clinically valuable for inducing intravenous anaesthesia, but would be ineffective when given rectally. The findings indicate that with the dosage forms used here, propofol would be clinically ineffective if given rectally to human infants and children.

A clinical study into the possible intrinsic bradycardic activity of vecuronium.

Forty female patients received a standardised anaesthetic technique with thiopentone sodium and enflurane. Half of the patients received, under double-blind conditions, either physiological saline or glycopyrronium before induction of anaesthesia; 10 minutes after induction of anaesthesia, all patients received vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg. A further 10 patients received neither glycopyrronium nor vecuronium. The results show that vecuronium per se does not produce a decrease in heart rate.

Bradycardia in patients receiving atracurium or vecuronium in conditions of low vagal stimulation.

Four groups of 20 patients each received either vecuronium or atracurium together with either glycopyrronium or saline, and underwent anaesthesia free of vagolytic drugs, and surgery devoid of vagal activity. Determinations of plasma histamine concentrations were made to examine the possible correlation between these levels and changes in heart rate and blood pressure as well as a possible relationship with skin reactions after the administration of the relaxants. Patients who received vecuronium without the anticholinergic drug, glycopyrronium, showed a greater tendency towards bradycardia (though not statistically significant) than those given atracurium. More cutaneous reactions were observed with patients who received atracurium than in those with vecuronium, but there was no correlation with plasma histamine concentrations of either relaxant group. There was no correlation either between histamine concentrations and heart rate or blood pressure associated with atracurium. The incidence of bradycardia with either relaxant is low if the anaesthetic technique and the surgery are devoid of vagal activity.

The Venflon cannula as a sideport of infection.

The possible role of infection through the valved sideport of Venflon cannulae was evaluated by one individual who followed an identical procedure of placing a syringe into the sideport and injecting saline solution. Basic aseptic techniques were used in a contaminated, busy environment. No bacterial growth was found in either anaerobic or aerobic culture media following a total of 1500 injections. The experiment shows that if the measures used could be applied, infection through the sideport would be minimal.