K. Geernaert et al., DOES EPIDURAL INJECTION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL SALINE FACILITATE THE ADVANCEMENT OF CATHETERS, European journal of anaesthesiology, 10(5), 1993, pp. 349-351
Seventy patients (ASA I, ASA II), scheduled for a surgical interventio
n under epidural or combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia, were randoml
y allocated to one of two groups. The epidural space was identified by
loss of resistance using air, followed by injection in Group A (35 pa
tients) of 10 ml of physiological saline directed cephallad and in Gro
up B (35 patients) by no injection. Thereafter an anaesthetist, differ
ent to the one who placed the Tuohy in the epidural space, advanced a
catheter up to 10 cm into the epidural space. At each cm of advance th
e resistance was judged. No significant difference in resistance was f
ound between the groups. The authors conclude that the injection of 10
ml of physiological saline into the epidural space does not facilitat
e the advancement of an epidural catheter.