What is Peridural?

adj. Located on or over the dura mater. n. An injection into the epidural space of the spine.

What kind of catheter is used with an epidural?

An epidural catheter is a very fine plastic catheter (tube), which is placed through the skin into the epidural space within your spinal canal. This temporary catheter is left in place for a defined period of time; several days for most types of surgical pain and up to 6 weeks for certain types of chronic pain.

What is an epidural catheter used for?

The catheter allows access to the epidural space to inject medication such as local anesthetics and/or narcotics for relief of pain. Temporary epidural catheters are used for tempory treatment of painful conditions that require pain control for intensive physical therapy and/or joint mobilization.

Is epidural a shot?

An epidural injection is an injection of medication into the space around the spinal cord, also known as the epidural space, to provide temporary or prolonged relief from pain or inflammation. The epidural space is the outermost part of the spinal canal.

What is the total length of epidural catheter?

The epidural catheter length will vary, either 4 cm or 5 cm into the epidural space. The epidural catheter will be thread into the epidural space at a length of 5 cm. The epidural catheter length will vary, either 4 cm or 5 cm into the epidural space.

How painful is epidural?

Does it hurt when the epidural is administered? The physician anesthesiologist will numb the area where the epidural is administered, which may cause a momentary stinging or burning sensation. But because of this numbing, there is very little pain associated with an epidural injection.

Which drug is used during labor?

Oxytocin. Oxytocin is a uterine stimulant, prescribed for the initiation of uterine contractions and induction of labor in women as well as stimulation of contractions in cases where the uterus does not contract enough during labor.

Can epidurals cause problems later in life?

Can getting an epidural cause long-term side effects? While it’s very rare, having an epidural procedure can lead to some long-term complications, including: Permanent neurologic deficit due to spinal cord or nerve root damage from the epidural injection.