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The Peripheral Nerve Stimulator: A Monitor During Continuous Spinal Anesthesia
  1. J. C. Gerancher, M.D.* and
  2. Randall L. Carpenter, M.D
  1. *Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, and the
  2. Department of Anesthesia, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  1. Reprint requests: J. C. Gerancher, M.D., 408 Forsyth Medical Park, 1900 South Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.

Abstract

Background and Objectives A continous spinal anesthetic was planned and conducted for a medically compromised and demented 80-year-old man presenting for repair of an intratrochanteric hip fracture.

Methods A peripheral nerve stimulator was successfully employed to monitor the height and to help time the redosing of the continuous spinal anesthetic.

Results The use of a peripheral nerve stimulator allowed careful titration of our continuous spinal anesthetic to provide dense analgesia at the surgical site for 1 hour 5 minutes, using a total spinal dose of 27 mg lidocaine and 7.5 μg spinal fentanyl.

Conclusion A standard peripheral nerve stimulator is an effective monitor to help optimize management of continuous spinal anesthesia.

  • continuous spinal anesthesia
  • monitoring peripheral nerve stimulator

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Footnotes

  • This work was completed at the Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington.