What are the Immediate and Long Term Affects of Epidural Anesthesia (Bupivicane) MERC oI SRC Ro CS Rae ae eee ite Rococo anesthesia Epidural anesthesia is used mostly for women when they are in labor. The epidural anesthesia is injected into the back, and block the nerve impulses from the lower spinal segments. This usually results in decreased sensation in the lower half of the body. Usually, a total of 1-2 liters of epidural anesthesia is given to the patient throughout labor and delivery. Pros of using epidural anesthesia pidural anesthesia is the best proven way to numb the pain while giving birth. It is said to relieve pain with minimum side effects. Because of all of the great studies shown in epidural anesthesia, around 60% of women at hospitals request an epidural during labor. About 10% of these women suffer minor side effects, and less than one percent suffer major side affects. Cons of using epidural Polat datsi Ce Ai though epidural anesthesia has many great impacts, has anyone ever wondered what the long term effects of having an epidural are? According to : americanpregnancy.org/labor there is the possibility that an epidural can cause numbness long after the numbing should have worn off, There can also be uncomfortable side affects of tingling and weakness, Some more major dangers of having an epidural, is the possibilty of endangering the infant. tis possible that while the epidural is being injected, that ifthe needle is even less than a centimeter away from the correct spot of the spine then there is a chance of accidentally anesthetizing the infant. Another bigger danger is that ifthe needle is injected just a litle bit off to the side, there isa large chance that something bad may happen to the patient as well. There are always chances of the patient losing their life, but only in very rare cases. There are many risks of labor for the mother and he child, and using an epidural may make it less painful, but not less dangerous, Chemical Composition of Epidural Bupivacaine is the main chemical composition of epidural anesthesia. There are also 8% of other chemicals in epidural anesthesia, and these are: Ropivacaine, Chloroprocaine, Mepivacaine, Levobupivacaine, and Sufentanil : ° oot, Ur aatic| Ropivacaine: Chloropgocaine: Cc Rufentanil l i oN OS Oe 7 2. SO AO Mepivacain Levobupivacaine: Bupivicane: Er Oa AA Answer to the Question The ultimate decision of getting an epidural is the patients, so that's why there is lots of evidence to help the patient along the way. The immediate affects of Epidural anesthesia do exactly what is needed and does what the anesthesia is supposed to do. What many patients don't know is that there can be long term affects of anesthesia. The anesthesia is injected into the back spine, and while doing this, there is a chance to block the nerve impulses from the lower spinal segments. This usually results in decreased sensation in the lower half of the body Even though the anesthesia usually works and doesn't come with many major side affects, there is always the chance that something could go wrong and there will be bad long term affects. As seen in the picture above, the epidural is injected in the lower back. As the epidural moves through the system, it is used to reduce pain immediately, but in some cases, the anesthesia can affect the patient in long term. The lower back may hurt(also known as the lumbar spine or the sacrum) 7) tamer inertaminar Eira nection se Works Cited "CHEST Journal | CHEST Publications." CHEST Journal | CHEST Publications. N. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. .shttp://journal.publications.chestnet.org/>. “Promoting Pregnancy Wellness." American Pregnancy Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. .shttp://americanpregnancy.org/>. “Lose Weight & Get Fit with Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Tools." LIVESTRONG.COM. Leaf Group, n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2017. ‘www. livestrong.com/>. "MedlinePlus - Health Information from the National Library of Medicine." MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2017. ..