Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Spinal anaesthesia
open-in-new
<p>Spinal anaesthesia (or spinal anesthesia), also called spinal block, subarachnoid block, intradural block and intrathecal block, is a form of neuraxial <a href="/facts/Regional_anaesthesia/MuvfJReD">regional anaesthesia</a> involving the <a href="/facts/Intrathecal_administration/ccbKhy0J">injection</a> of a <a href="/facts/Local_anaesthetic/5aA2qews">local anaesthetic</a> with or without an <a href="/facts/Opioid/EGnE2x99">opioid</a> into the <a href="/facts/Subarachnoid_space/IcxhShYH">subarachnoid space</a>. Usually a single-shot dose is administrered through a fine <a href="/facts/Hypodermic_needle/EJEUNyRK">needle</a>, alternatively continuous spinal anaesthesia through a intrathecal catheter can be performed. It is a safe and effective form of <a href="/facts/Anesthesia/b3MKVn8E">anesthesia</a> usually performed by anesthesiologists and CRNAs that can be used as an alternative to <a href="/facts/General_anaesthesia/bv3Yzcz7">general anesthesia</a> commonly in <a href="/facts/Surgery/fG8tWf5Y">surgeries</a> involving the <a href="/facts/Human_leg/sjU6X2E3">lower extremities</a> and surgeries below the <a href="/facts/Navel/ICl77Nwb">umbilicus</a>. The local anesthetic with or without an opioid injected into the <a href="/facts/Cerebrospinal_fluid/tcWG7hhv">cerebrospinal fluid</a> provides locoregional anaesthesia: true anaesthesia, motor, sensory and autonomic (sympathetic) blockade. Administering analgesics (opioid, alpha2-adrenoreceptor agonist) in the cerebrospinal fluid without a local anaesthetic produces locoregional analgesia: markedly reduced <a href="/facts/Pain/70E79oUn">pain</a> sensation (incomplete analgesia), some autonomic blockade (parasympathetic plexi), but no sensory or motor block. Locoregional analgesia, due to mainly the absence of motor and sympathetic block may be preferred over locoregional anaesthesia in some <a href="/facts/Surgery/fG8tWf5Y">postoperative care</a> settings. The tip of the spinal needle has a point or small <a href="/facts/Bevel/ErgYGVs9">bevel</a>. Recently, pencil point needles have been made available (Whitacre, Sprotte, <a href="/facts/Gertie_Marx/9mTvargU">Gertie Marx</a> and others). </p>