What Are the Risks of an Epidural Catheter?

What Are the Risks of an Epidural Catheter?

An epidural catheter is a tube that delivers pain medication to your abdomen and lower back.epidural catheter It is an important part of the epidural anesthesia procedure during labor and childbirth. However, it is important to know what you are getting into when deciding to have this done. Some of the most common risks include infection and complications with the insertion of the tube.

To reduce these risks the doctor will usually first give you a numbing injection around the area where they are going to place the epidural. Once the area is numb the physician then inserts the needle into the epidural space. They may also inject fluid to help the medication get into the epidural space. Once the medication is in the epidural space it should start working. It is important to note that the anesthesia can sometimes make you feel dizzy or weak in your legs. This is normal and should go away shortly after the anesthesia wears off.

If the anesthesia is not effective or it causes problems then you will probably be asked to have another one inserted. This is because it takes some time for the anesthesia to work and if you have had it before it will not take as long.

After the catheter is in place you will most likely still have some numbness around your waist and in the lower back. It is important to be aware of this and not try to move too much as this can cause complications such as a spinal headache. If you do start to feel this then your nurse will tell you when to notify them and they can re-inject the medicine.

One of the most common risks of an epidural is infection. This is because the spot where the tube enters the body can get infected easily. This is why antibiotics are typically given before the surgery starts. There is also a chance that the tube can deviate from where it is supposed to be in the epidural space. This is why it is important to have the anesthesia specialist closely monitor your progress during your labor and delivery.

The epidural catheter is currently the most popular method of analgesia during pregnancy and labour. The majority of patients report little or no discomfort from the insertion. It is important to understand that although there are many studies on the subject, not all of them are randomized and the results can vary. It is also possible that the research was biased in some way so it is important to take this into consideration when interpreting the findings. Epidural catheter material and tip design appear to influence the ease of catheter insertion and associated complications, but further multicenter randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings. In addition, it is likely that a combination of factors, including anatomic approach to the epidural space (midline or paramedian), loss-of-resistance technique, and physician experience, may influence these outcomes.

Tags:urinary catheter