Epidural analgesia and anticoagulant therapy. Experience with one thousand cases of continuous epidurals

One thousand lumbar epidural blocks in 950 patients undergoing vascular surgery are reported. All patients were receiving oral anticoagulants pre-operatively. Mean thrombotest (TT) was 19.3% (normal range 70-130%). During surgery intravascular heparin was administered. At the end of surgery, the kaolin cephalin clotting time (KCCT) was 68 (+/- 0.8) seconds (normal range 35-60 seconds), and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) was 536 (77.9%, normal control of 100%). Despite the anticoagulant therapy, no side effects were observed in any patient which could be related to haemorrhage or haematoma formation in the epidural space. It is concluded that, provided adequate precautions are taken, epidural analgesia can be safely used in patients receiving anticoagulant therapy.