Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2025
Epidural Intracranial Pressure Measurement in Rats Using a Fiber-optic Pressure Transducer
Published on: April 25, 2012
Objective real-time epidural pressure measurement using the CompuFlo® device, a mono-center observational study
Laurent Hertz1, Chrystelle Sola2, Julien Pico2
1Department of Pediatric Anesthesia, Montpellier University Hospital, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Background:
Epidural anesthesia (EA) is particularly relevant in the cases of expected intense and lasting postoperative pain. Yet, this technique is considered challenging in young children because of the difficulty in perceiving the loss of resistance (LOR) required to detect the epidural space. The CompuFlo® device is a computerized injection pump that accurately detects real-time pressure at the tip of a needle. This prospective observational study aimed to describe pressure levels during EA in children. Therefore, we hypothesized that pressures would be lower in smaller children.
Methods:
All surgical patients requiring an EA were eligible for inclusion. During the procedure, pressures before LOR were measured in real-time using both modes (manual and automatic) of the CompuFlo® device. Factors that may influence pressure levels, such as weight, were also investigated.
Results:
We analyzed the last pressures just before LOR during 56 procedures performed on 47 patients. Median pressures (quartiles) were 174 (120; 314) mmHg. The pressure before LOR was correlated to the weight (r = 0.61 in the automatic group), with values significantly lower in the group of children under 5 kg (p = 0.02) compared to the other weight groups.
Conclusion:
The CompuFlo® device allowed a pressure measurement prior to obtaining LOR during EA catheter placement in children. Younger children appear to have lower pressure levels. This could partly explain the difficulty in detecting the epidural space in infants. This observational study describes initial results that could be used as a basis for future hypotheses.
Registration:
ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT03672526.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
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...
01:30Equipments Used To Measure Blood Pressure
This invasive approach involves cannulating a peripheral artery. During each cardiac contraction, pressure generates mechanical motion within the catheter, transmitted through rigid, fluid-filled tubing to a transducer. This transducer converts mechanical motion into electrical signals displayed as waveforms on a monitor. An automatic flushing system prevents blood backflow. Due to the potential risk of unexpected arterial blood loss, this method is primarily used in intensive...