Anaesthesia
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Comparative Study
Fluid flow through dural puncture sites. An in vitro comparison of needle point types.
Leakage of artificial cerebrospinal fluid through human dura was measured in vitro after puncture by spinal needles. Fluid loss tailed off in all cases and ceased within 5 minutes in 10% of punctures made with a 22-gauge needle, 28% made with a 26-gauge and 65% made with a 29-gauge needle (p less than 0.05). ⋯ Leakage rate was related to needle size, but not related to the alignment of a Quincke point. Little or no leakage occurred with 29-gauge needles.
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Spinal anaesthesia was used for 25 infants who were born prematurely and who subsequently required inguinal herniotomy. Hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% was administered in a dose of 0.3 mg/kg. ⋯ Spinal anaesthesia is a safe and effective alternative to general anaesthesia in these high-risk infants. However, postoperative apnoea monitoring is still essential for all infants born prematurely.