The patient can be positioned either sitting or lateral. Check frequently for CSF to appear. There's no need to attach a loss-resistant syringe we're going to be passing right through the epidural space. You may feel a pop or give as you pass through the ligamentum flavum endura.
Do your best to stab the flow of CSF with your thumb over the hub while you prepare your catheter. The goal is to have about three to four centimeters in the subarachnoid space, then secure it to the patient's back.
Now is when we start to dose the local anesthetic,we'll usually start to dose the local anesthetic with five milligrams of isobaric bupivacaine.Then we can assess the hemodynamic effect and presence of a sensory and motor block. If needed, we can dose another 2.5 milligrams at a time as necessary until we get the desired level. Once we're cruising at steady state, we're usually giving 2.5 milligrams every 45 to 60 minutes to maintain the spinal block where we want it.
Here are some tips and tricks for continuous spinal. First, be gentle when advancing the catheter, that catheter tip is poking up against some sensitive structures including the conus medullaris.Slow advancement is key to avoiding paresthesia.Maintaining sterile technique. Hold the end of the catheter below the level of the insertion site, if it drips passively,no need to aspirate, you're in the right spot.We only use isobaric medications with this technique.
Finally, I can't stress this enough. Make sure everyone who is involved in the care of that patient knows it's a spinal catheter not an epidural. We use bright stickers and careful specific handoff to other team members. As a rule, these get removed from the patient at the end of the case before leaving the operating room.