Whats the difference between Subarachnoid Block and Spinal Anesthesia? or are they desame?
Answers:
Spinal anesthesia is the common name for a subarachnoid block. It's what I all it when discussion to patients. On my anesthesia record, though, I'll write SAB, shorthand for subarachnoid block.
This technique involves injecting medication into the spinal fluid, which is found between the arachnoid and pia mater in the spinal canal. We inject into a sac of fluid that is to say below the end of the spinal cord, where there are basically some free floating nerves (the cauda equina), thereby minimizing risk to the cord.
An epidural block is quite different. That involves stopping the needle *before* the dura (hence the name - epidural mechanism on top of the dura). That can be tricaky as that space is a few inches deep into the patient, so we use a special hypodermic (Tuohy) that is blunt on the end to we don't just slice right through the dura. We grain each layer as we go through, and testing for resistance with a syringe of air or fluid.
One of the main difference between spinal and epidural anesthesia is the volume of drug required to achieve a block - it's about 10x higher in the epidural space. Also, we can put a catheter within the epidural space and keep medication infusing for a long time (days, if necessary). Spinal catheters were tried, but had too masses complications to be widely used today.
I'm sure that's way more than you wanted to know. :) Source(s): I'm an anesthesiologist. SAB = best anesthetic ever, IMHO.
never heard of subarachnoid block. in that is epidural block with is the same as spinal block.
Related Questions:
