A review of neuraxial epidural morbidity - Experience of more than 8,000 cases at a single teaching hospital

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The true incidence of serious neuraxial complications such as epidural hematoma or abscess after postoperative epidural infusions is still uncertain, in part due to inconsistencies in multicenter data collection. METHODS: Prospective data were collected over 16 yr from the authors' Acute Pain Service, which is based in a large tertiary teaching institution with a nonobstetric general surgical population. RESULTS: Over this period, 8,210 epidural catheters were inserted for postoperative analgesia and 32 computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans were undertaken to exclude potential neuraxial complications. From these, two spinal hematomas (1:4,105) and six epidural a..