European journal of anaesthesiology
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Little information exists on cerebrospinal fluid pressures in non-labouring pregnant women. The technique of spinal anaesthesia means that inadequate levels of sensory blockade are difficult to manage. If the block is found to be inadequate after surgery has commenced, then conversion to general anaesthesia may be the only option. It is important that any manoeuvre altering the spread of local anaesthetic is considered at the time of subarachnoid injection. This study investigates the feasibility of using a fine bore needle with an electronic transducer to measure cerebrospinal fluid pressure and whether this was affected by either of the two lateral positions. We also sought to measure whether the right or left lateral position affected subsequent block height and requirements for supplementary analgesia. ⋯ Adoption of either the right or left lateral position for placement of spinal anaesthesia results in no difference in cerebrospinal fluid pressure or quality of block. The technique described gives a reliable and reproducible method of cerebrospinal fluid pressure measurement.
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It is claimed that local anaesthetics have antimicrobial properties. Our aim was to investigate the antimicrobial effects of different concentrations of ropivacaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine and prilocaine on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. ⋯ Ropivacaine had no antimicrobial effect on microorganisms tested. Bupivacaine showed poor antimicrobial effectiveness. Lidocaine and prilocaine had more powerful antimicrobial effects than the other two local anaesthetics.