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March 1, 1999Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine

The performance of spinal anesthesia is marginally more difficult in the elderly*1

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Why the study?

Is spinal anesthesia more difficult to perform in elderly patients compared to younger patients?

Population

999 patients receiving spinal anesthesia, prospectively divided into <50 years, 50-70 years, and >70 years.

Comparison

Spinal anesthesia in elderly patients (>70 years) vs Spinal anesthesia in younger patients

Design

Cohort

Authors

MTMichael J. TesslerJewish General Hospital

Discussion

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Overview

Anticipate more attempts in elderly patients; leaves open whether age independently increases spinal difficulty in prospective cohorts.

Structured PICO

Is spinal anesthesia more difficult to perform in elderly patients compared to younger patients?

P
Population
999 patients receiving spinal anesthesia (excluding hip fractures and cesarean deliveries), prospectively divided into <50 years (n=368), 50-70 years (n=336), and >70 years (n=295).
I
Intervention
Spinal anesthesia in elderly patients (>70 years)
C
Comparator
Spinal anesthesia in younger patients (<50 years and 50-70 years)
O
Outcome
Time to completion, number of spinal needles used, and number of approaches

Patient age is a minor independent predictor of increased technical difficulty with spinal anesthesia, requiring more needles and approaches but not significantly more time.

Cite This Study

Michael J. Tessler (1999) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a887aead79ae02bd34e1390https://doi.org/10.1016/s1098-7339(99)90072-x
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Also Consider

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  1. 1Incidence and Etiology of Failed Spinal Anesthetics in a University Hospital1988 · 85 citations
  2. 2Incidence and Causes of Failed Spinal Anesthetics in a University Hospital: A Prospective Study1991 · 43 citations
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  4. 4COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF SPINAL ANAESTHESIA AND GENERAL ANAESTHESIA ON POSTOPERATIVE OXYGENATION AND PERIOPERATIVE MORTALITY1980 · 100 citations
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