[Hazards and complications of central segmental blockade. I. Epidural anesthesia (retrospective analysis)]

A total of 700 reports about complications of epidural anesthesia over more than 30 years are analyzed. Four groups of complications have been distinguished: 1) errors and complications caused by technological errors; 2) complications caused by atypical dissemination of an anesthetic; 3) complications caused by side and toxic effects of local anesthetics or effects of epidural block; and 4) complications caused by damage to nerve structures. Causes, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of complications are discussed. The cause-and-effect analysis of complications of epidural anesthesia helped objectively formulate and validate the relative and absolute contraindications to the use of this method.