what is the difference between an epidural and spinal anaesthetic?

Answer 1

The spinal cord and the nerves are contained in a sac of cerebrospinal fluid. The space around this sac is the epidural space. Spinal anesthesia involves the injection of numbing medicine directly into the fluid sac. Epidurals involve the injection into the space outside the sac (epidural space).

Answer 2

A spinal is administered with a tiny bored needle inserted through the dura where a small amount of local anesthetic is injected. The block is immediate and strong.

An epidural is administered on top of the dura which is the membrane housing the spinal fluid. A large needle is used to feel the pop through the ligamentum flavum. Then a larger amount of local anesthetic is administered which takes longer to work because time is needed for the medication to soak into the nerve roots.

They are both regional anesthetics. The spinal is a single dose and the epidural can have a tiny catheter inserted into the epidural space so that continuous or repeated dosing can be given.

Answer 3

The spinal block is A LOT stronger than an epidural and only really designed for a C-Section. Also, the spinal is just one shot into your spine, while the epidural runs a small tube running into the tube the whole time. I had an epidural and it only worked on one side of my body, then it wore off after about a half hour. The spinal worked instantly.

Answer 4

They are both administered the same way but i think the spinal block is a stonger anaesthetic designed for c-sections , or possibly an op where you could stay awake ... Both are sited in the spine ..
I have had 3 epidurals for childbirth and a spinal for a c-section

Answer 5

The difference in a spinal anesthesia and an epidural has to do with the level at which the anesthesia is given.
Usually a spinal is given in the back at about the waistline and numbs everything down and takes longer to start moving your legs as it takes hours for the anesthesia to wear off because a prescribed amount of numbing medicine is given all at once.
Epidurals are given at the tailbone area and only numbs a smaller area and recovery is shorter as the medicine wears off faster because it is given in doses as needed to control pain.

Answer 6

The differences between epidural (EA) and spinal (SA) anesthesia that can affect maternal satisfaction are the procedures, quality of anesthesia and postoperative events. Dominantly, postoperative events such as postdural puncture headache, pruritus and nausea or vomiting after spinal anesthesia are claimed to be its disadvantages. However, maternal satisfactory perception to theses two techniques has not been revealed. The authors' purpose was to compare maternal satisfaction regarding the techniques and their outcomes between EA and SA by the developed valid and reliable tool. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Patients were randomly classified into two groups: epidural (Group E, n=56) and spinal (Group S, n = 58). Epidural and spinal anesthesia were administered with bupivacaine, 20 mL 0.5% with 1:200,000 epinephrine combined with two doses of 5 mg morphine and hyperbaric bupivacaine 2.2-2.4 mL 0.5% combined with 0.2 mg morphine respectively. Guidelines for treatment of intraoperative and postoperative events, which might be the confounding factors, were set up. Maternal satisfaction was evaluated by the 11-item, qualified, self-administered questionnaire comprised of 4 common factors. The score of 0-10 Visual analog scale was used to access the degree of satisfaction. Trained personnel performed data collections in the post-anesthesia care unit and ward. The means of the factor and total satisfaction scores were compared between the two groups by Mann Whitney U test. A p-value < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in the factor scores between the two groups. The total satisfactory score was 89.48 +/- 9.31 and 90.03 +/- 11.26 in Group E and S respectively. No statistical difference of the total satisfaction score was detected. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in maternal satisfaction regarding to the techniques and the outcomes between EA and SA.

Answer 7

spinal injection is a single injection
epidural has the tube running into spine all the time the op is taking place

Answer 8

There really is no difference,they are both administered in the same way,but the recovery time with a spinal is much quicker.

Answer 9

both are inserted in the spine for pain relief commonly in child birth, but it can be used as an anaesthetic to the lower body for operations too they just alter the anaesthetic. hope this helps

Answer 10

epidural I think is injected into the skin and muscle, spinal into the spine

but not positive