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An epidural catheter introducer in children
1Department of Anaesthesiology, Ibaraki Children's Hospital, 3-3-1 Futaba-dai, Mito 311-4145, Japan.
Abstract:
Usefulness of an epidural catheter introducer was tested in paediatric epidural anaesthesia. We tried to place an epidural catheter in 100 infants and children. When catheter insertion was difficult, an epidural catheter introducer, which was made of a piece of 6-Fr suction tubing, was utilized. The introducer is threaded over the epidural catheter down to the hub orifice of the epidural needle. The catheter can then be advanced into the epidural space through this introducer. In this way, we were able to place the catheter in 94 percent of patients. Even a simple introducer is effective in passing the epidural catheter into the epidural space in infants and children. Perhaps manufacturers should provide threading devices with catheters or epidural needles.