Spinal anesthesia; a survey of neurologic complications

The incidence of severe neurologic complications from spinal anesthesia in San Diego County in a series of 32,882 cases in a five-year period was 0.012 per cent. Morbidity of 1 in 10,000 cases compares favorably with morbidity associated with general anesthesia. Meticulous technique and abandonment of continuous spinal anesthesia can further reduce the incidence of complications. More emphasis should be placed on the elimination of preexisting neurologic disease as a contraindication to spinal anesthesia.