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Related Concept Videos

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia01:11

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia

Spinal anesthetics are given during lower abdomen and limb surgeries to block sensory and motor neurons. They are administered in the mid to low lumbar regions, primarily acting on the cauda equina's nerve roots. The blockade level depends on the local anesthetic (LA) concentration. Usually, low LA concentrations are sufficient to block sensory fibers, while only high LA concentrations block motor fibers. Other factors like injection volume and speed, the patient's posture, and the drug...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia01:29

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
General Anesthesia: Overview01:24

General Anesthesia: Overview

Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia01:16

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia

Intravenous regional anesthesia or the Bier block technique is used to anesthetize a specific limb or extremity. It uses exsanguinated or blood-drained vessels to transport local anesthetics or LAs to the peripheral nerve trunks. Lidocaine without vasoconstrictors like epinephrine is most commonly used for this technique. Other drugs used are prilocaine, ropivacaine, and chloroprocaine. Bupivacaine is not recommended for this technique due to its high cardiac toxicity.
One of the advantages of...
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses01:31

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Skeletal muscle relaxants are used to relax muscle tone and alleviate painful muscle contractions. However, the choice of skeletal muscle relaxants depends on the duration of the surgical procedure in order to minimize potential side effects. Skeletal muscle relaxants like neuromuscular blocking agents [NMBAs] are commonly employed as adjuvants alongside general anesthetics in clinical settings. NMBAs are also used to maintain controlled ventilation during surgery of the larynx or pharynx as...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Targeting the Corticospinal Tract in Neonatal Rats with a Double-Viral Vector using Combined Brain and Spine Surgery
07:27

Targeting the Corticospinal Tract in Neonatal Rats with a Double-Viral Vector using Combined Brain and Spine Surgery

Published on: June 30, 2021

Spinal anesthesia in pediatric patients.

T López1, F J Sánchez, J C Garzón

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital of Salamanca, Spain. teresina1234@hotmail.es

Minerva Anestesiologica
|January 4, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Spinal anesthesia (SA) offers a safe alternative to general anesthesia (GA) for pediatric patients, particularly for high-risk infants. Despite its benefits, SA remains underutilized in pediatric care.

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Laminectomy and Spinal Cord Window Implantation in the Mouse
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Laminectomy and Spinal Cord Window Implantation in the Mouse

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Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Targeting the Corticospinal Tract in Neonatal Rats with a Double-Viral Vector using Combined Brain and Spine Surgery
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Laminectomy and Spinal Cord Window Implantation in the Mouse
06:59

Laminectomy and Spinal Cord Window Implantation in the Mouse

Published on: October 23, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pediatric Surgery

Background:

  • Spinal anesthesia (SA) has been used in pediatric procedures since the late 19th century.
  • It is often preferred for high-risk and former preterm infants due to potential protective effects against postoperative apnea compared to general anesthesia (GA).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current status and considerations of spinal anesthesia in pediatric patients.
  • To highlight its safety, efficacy, and underutilization compared to general anesthesia.

Main Methods:

  • Review of historical use and current practices of pediatric spinal anesthesia.
  • Discussion of anesthetic agents, dosages, and administration techniques.
  • Analysis of complication rates and comparison with general anesthesia.

Main Results:

  • Pediatric SA requires higher local anesthetic doses and has shorter action durations than in adults, but offers greater hemodynamic stability.
  • Optimal puncture sites are L4-L5 or L5-S1 to avoid spinal cord injury.
  • Failure rates can be up to 28%, necessitating skill and experience.

Conclusions:

  • Spinal anesthesia is considered safe and effective for pediatric patients.
  • Commonly used drugs include tetracaine and bupivacaine, with or without adjuvants.
  • Despite its benefits, spinal anesthesia remains underutilized in pediatrics compared to general anesthesia.