• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.96-100
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• 1998

Bakground: At our institution, We have controlled pain during vaginal delivery with epidural block since 1986. We designed a questionaire for parturients to analyze the degree of satisfaction of epidural block. Method: The self-questionaire were sent to parturients(N=200), who had epidural block to control labor pain during vaginal delivery. The questionaire covered topics dealing with motivation, fear, satisfaction and complications, of epidural block. Results: Motivation by an experienced person was 72.5%(145 parturients), fear of epidural block was 66%(132 parturients), and satisfactory response was 84%(168 parturients). Parturients who knew the role of anesthesiologist numbered 105(52.5%). Scarcely, 46 parturients displayed confidence for safety of fetus; 111 parturients experienced more than one complications. But special therapy for complications were not necessary. Conclusions: Publicity through mass-media and direct contact will improve the recognition and merit of epidural block by parturients as well as the role of the department of anesthesiology.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.281-284
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• 1997

Continuous epidural blockade is a widely accepted, useful technique for providing anesthesia and analgesia. But there have been several anecdotal reports of complications such as: abnormal position, knotting, shearing of the catheter, etc. We experienced a case of shearing of the end of an epidural catheter which was difficult to remove from epidural space of a 39-year-old patient. Ultrasonogram proved to be very effective to confirm the presence and position of the retained catheter. We surgically removed the retained catheter as it could potentially lead to infection of the epidural space. We advocate the ultrasonogram as an effective procedure to confirm and locate retained epidural catheter.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.74-78
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• 2000

Background: Epidural Adhesiolysis is an interventional pain management technique for patients with low back pain. In addition to local anesthetics and corticosteroid, hypertonic saline (NaCl) are used for the technique. Present study was aimed to compare analgesic and adverse effects of two different concentration of hypertonic saline in Epidural Adhesiolysis. Methods: Fifty-three subjects with low back pain with radiculopathy were assigned to one of two epidural adhesiolysis treatment groups: 8% (Group I, n=26) or 10% (Group II, n=27) hypertonic saline. 17 G epidural needle was inserted at sacral hiatus and catheter was advanced untill its tip was located at lesion site under fluoroscopic guidance. Subjects in all treatment groups received epidural corticosteroid and local anesthetic. And then, hypertonic saline injection via catheter were carried out daily for 3 days. Evaluation included assessment of pain relief (Numerical Rating Scale; NRS) at post-epidural adhesiolysis 1, 2, 3 days, 1 week, and 1, 3 months. We also looked for complications of epidural adhesiolysis at different concentration of hypertonic saline. Results: Statistical analysis demonstrated that NRS was not significantly different between two groups during 3 months after epidural adhesiolysis. There were no major differences of complications between two groups and disappeard after a few months without residual sequelae. Conclusions: We conclude that epidural adhesiolysis using 8% hypertonic saline is effective for relief of low back pain with proven lumbosacral fibrosis without any residual sequelae compared with 10%.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.79-83
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• 2000

Background: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is a syndrome characterized by postural headache without trauma, spinal anesthesia or other medical history. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of epidural blood patch in spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Methods: The spontaneous intracranial hypotension patients treated with epidural blood patch were analyzed on the symptoms, radiologic images and methods of epidural blood patch retrospectively by the medical records. Results: Patients had postural headache (15 patients) including nausea/vomiting (10 patients), tinnitus (2 patients), neck stiffness (13 patients), vertigo (3 patients) and occular pain (1 patient). Brain CT and MRI showed diffuse enhancement of the pachymeninges (9 patients) and radionuclide cisternography demonstrated direct evidence of leakage (11 patients). With epidural blood patch, the symptoms were promptly relieved in 11 patients. Conclusions: We concluded that epidural blood patch is a good treatment of method in spontaneous intracranial hypotension patients.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.225-230
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• 1997

Background: Authors modified the traditional continuous axillary brachial plexus block technique of Selander for purpose of increasing success rate and decreasing complications by use of commercial epidural anesthesia set. Method: Thirty-nine patients scheduled for upper extremity operations were injected with 40 ml of anesthetic solution by axillary perivascular technique, using 23~25G immobile needle at 2 cm from the pectoralis major. Tuohy needle was immediately introduced at 4 cm from the pectoralis major and pierced the expanded neurovascular sheath at an angle of 30 degree to the skin. The "pop" was well noted well. Needle was advanced 0.5 to 3.0 cm and epidural catheter introduced through the needle. After removal of needle, occlusive dressing was done. Tip of catheter and spread of solution were demonstrated by fluoroscopy with contrast dye after completion of procedure. Result: Catheter insertion was successful at first attempt for all case. Total length of insertion was from 6 to 13($10.0{\pm}1.7$) cm. Tip of catheter was placed in infraclavicular space(66.7%), about the humeral head(17.9%) and in upper arm in 3 cases as U-shape(7.9%). Catheters were maintained for $6.7{\pm}2.6$(3-12) days. There were no complications such as: perforation of major vessels, needle trauma to nerve, infection, bleeding or hematoma. Conclusion: This study demonstrated continuous axillary brachial plexus block with epidural anesthesia set is safe, easy and convenient modification of technique of Selander.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.98-101
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• 1996

Background: Lumbar epidural steroid injection for relief of low back pain and sciatica has become a popular procedure. further, cervical epidural steroid injection with nerve block (CESNB) is known to be effective for the management of acute and chronic pain of neck, shoulder and arm. However, many anesthesiologists are not familiar with CESNB. Methods: Charts of 34 patients who had undergone 60 cervical epidural steroid injections over a three year period, 1993 to 1995, were reviewed. We studied the followings: initial visit and department, injected interspaces, personal characteristics, indications for injection and complications. Results: Patients' first visits were mainly to orthopaedics (11 patients) and neurosurgery (10 patients). Epidural injection sites were: C7-T1 interspace (29 patients) and C6-C7 interspace (6 patients). Mean age of patients were 50.1 years. range 21~73 years. There were twenty male and fourteen female patients. Complications varied from dizziness after CESNB (1 patient). loss of consciousness with transient apnea (2 patients), and local infection with suspicious meningitis (1 patient). Conclusion: We conclude from the above data that CESNB is a good, safe and conservative form of therapeutic procedure in the management of patients suffering from cervical radiculopathy, and neck and shoulder pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.64-68
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• 1997

Background : Patients mover more as their post operative pain decrease. With the increase in movement there will be a tendency for the epidural catheter to migrate out of its original position. We studied 2 methods of fixation of the epidural catheter and the changes in position as related to patient movement. Methods : Patients were divided into two groups. Patients in Group A had their epidural catheter formed with a circular loop at the (skin) exit site then directed over the right shoulder. Group B had the epidural catheter flxed with Fixomull on the exit site without forming a circular loop. At the end of the operation, 3 mg of epidural morphine was injected via indwelling epidural catheter for postoperative pain control. Epidural catheter depth was measured 24 hours later. Results : The overall rate of migration of epidural catheter was 61.9%. In Group A, number of patients whose catheter migrated over 0.5 cm was 23(69.9%) with 14 inward migration and 9 outward migration. Group B had 16(53%) patients catheters migrate over 0.5 cm, with 2 patients having inward migration and 14 outward migration. Conclusions : Although the rates of migration of epidural catheter were similar for both groups, the number of inner migration of catheter, which could result serious complications, was significantly lower in Group B than Group A. Based on our results we recommend the epidural catheter be fixed without a circular loop.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.63-68
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• 1996

Background; Epidural analgesia for controlling labor pain has recently gained world-wide popularity. However, many patients scheduled for continuous epidural analgesia voice concern over harmful effects to their fetus and other possible complications such as hemodynamic changes, back pain and neurologic sequelae etc. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic changes with and without epidural block as a measure to determine the safety of epidural analgesia during labor and delivery. Methods: Twenty healthy subjects were divided equally into two groups(Group 1 without epidural block, and Group 2 with epidural block) and serial hemodynamic measurements were taken in all subjects with transcutaneous impedence cardiography. The epidural catheter was inserted at the level of $L_{3,4}$ in Group 2 and analgesia was maintained using 0.25% bupivacaine mixed with fentanyl. Results: Cardiac output increased slightly with cervical dilatation in both groups, but no significant differences were found between the two groups. Similarly, no significant differences were found in blood pressures between the two groups. Stroke volume and end-diastolic volume indices were slightly decreased in group 1 and slightly increased in group 2. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups. The ejection fraction was nearly constant and ranging 56~59%. Conclusion: We concluded epidural analgesia for labor and delivery is a safe technique for the parturients since results indicated no significant differences in hemodynamic changes, as compared to the control group.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.279-285
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• 1995

Extradural block is a form of treatment described as early as the beginning of the present centuries. It has since had positive criticism from a number of authors in different countries. Epidural injections of steroids with or without local anesthetic have become an occasional method of conservative treatment in sciatica & lumbago, especially in acute case. We assess the results of continuous epidural block with steroids and local anesthetics in sciatica & lumbago. From July 1994 to June 1995, we treated 46 case of lumbago and sciatica using continuous epidural block with steroids and local anesthetics. After placement of 17-Gauge Tuohy needle in the epidural space by the technique of loss of resistance, 0.25% bupivacaine 5 cc and triamcinolone 40 mg was administered and then epidural catheter was placed and connected to multiday infusor(Paragon) using 1% lidocaine with continuous infusion rate of 1 ml/hour. Usually, the catheter was removed after 1~2 weeks and then treated with the physical therapy. At the time of patient's discharge, 69.5% of all cases showed excellent or good results. Of particular note, 26 of the 46 cases were followed up by telephone. At present, in using Of particular note, 26 of the 46 cases were followed up by telephone. At present, in using continuous epidural block procedure, a relief in symptoms showed in 65.5% of these 26 cases. Continuous epidural block provides shortening of the recovery time from pain, avoidance of long period bed rest and early physical therapy and exercise. Therefore, continuous epidural block is simple and safe in the treatment of lumbago and sciatica, especially in acute phase.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.165-168
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• 1998

Although the incidence of epidural abscess is low, patient requiring continuous epidural analgesia for control of acute and chronic pain is increasing rapidly. Therefore we anticipate more frequent encounters with epidural abscess patients in future. Once epidural abscess formation begins, early diagnosis and treatment is very important to prevent permanent neurologic damage. The authors encountered a case of epidural abscess after continuous epidural analgesia for control of perineal pain due to rectal cancer. Forty-eight hours after the block, patient began to suffer severe low back pain, local tenderness, and fever. So the catheter was removed and culture sensitivity test was done with blood and local drainage. The test results identified methicillin susceptible staphylococcus aureus. Antibiotics were administered. Ten days after the block, left ankle jerk disappeared, and force of dorsiflexion of great toe decreased, but numbness or anesthesia appeared at $L_5$ dermatome. Laminectomy was performed, and abscess and necrotic fat material was removed from left $L_5$ nerve root. The patient was discharged 12 days after operation without any neurologic sequalae.