Epidural pressure and its relation to spread of epidural analgesia.

The relationships between the epidural pressures following the injection of local anesthetic solution and the spread of epidural analgesia were investigated. In 46 patients, 15 ml of 2% mepivacaine was injected into the lumbar epidural space at a constant rate (1 ml/sec) using an electropowered syringe pump. Injection pressures and residual pressures were recorded and the spread of analgesia to pinprick was assessed. The changes of the epidural pressures during and following the injection of a volume of local anesthetic solution in old subjects were significantly smaller than those in young subjects (P < 0.05). The spread of analgesia closely correlated with the epidural pressures during and following the injection of local anesthetic solution. The most close correlation was found between the epidural pressure immediately after the completion of injection and the spread of analgesia (r = -0.5659, P < 0.001). In conclusion, the lower the terminal injection pressure and the residual pressures associated with higher age, the wider the spread of epidural analgesia.