Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Spinal Sonography for Ultrasound-Guided Lumbar Neuraxial Anesthesia
Published on: January 31, 2025
Total spinal anesthesia during combined general-epidural anesthesia in a 7-year-old child
E Kipnis1, E Desoutter, S Dalmas
1Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation Chirurgicale 2, CHRU Lille, France. kipnise@anesthesia.ucsf.edu
Abstract:
Total spinal anesthesia (TSA) is a rare complication of lumbar epidural anesthesia through inadvertent spinal injection of local anesthetics following an undiagnosed dural breach or spinal placement of the catheter. TSA has rarely been reported in children. TSA occurred during epidural anesthesia in a 7-year-old child undergoing abdominal surgery. Recent previous lumbar punctures and intrathecal chemotherapy for Burkitt's lymphoma at the same level may have facilitated dural breach. Epidural anesthesia should not be attempted at the same intervertebral level as prior recent lumbar punctures.
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