Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (10)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Fettes, P. D. W.
Right arrow Articles by Wildsmith, J. A. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Fettes, P. D. W.
Right arrow Articles by Wildsmith, J. A. W.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2002, Vol. 88, No. 6 760-763
© 2002 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia

Editorial

Editorial III

Somebody else’s nervous system

P. D. W. Fettes1 and J. A. W. Wildsmith1

1University Department of Anaesthesia, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK

Concerns about neurological sequelae of spinal (intrathecal) anaesthesia are almost as old as the technique, but are considered to be preventable by an understanding of all the possible mechanisms of harm and a careful technique.1 Spinal anaesthesia is now used frequently for a wide range of surgery on the lower half of the body, but it is difficult to know just how safe it is as few prospective data have been collected in recent years. A French survey did note the total incidence of neurological sequelae to be six in 10 000 spinal anaesthetics, with permanent deficit occurring in less than one in 10 000,2 although the prospective nature of this study has been questioned.3 However, there have been rumours emanating for some time from UK medico-legal circles of a disturbing number of cases of spinal cord damage associated with spinal anaesthesia. These rumours have been given substance by the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

The patient

The equipment

The technique

Conclusions

References


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
R. Sumaiya, J. F. Luck, P. D. W. Fettes, and J. A. W. Wildsmith
Spinal anaesthesia for elective surgery
Br. J. Anaesth., March 1, 2009; 102(3): 431 - 431.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
T. M. Cook, D. Counsell, J. A. W. Wildsmith, and on behalf of The Royal College of Anaesthetists Th
Major complications of central neuraxial block: report on the Third National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists
Br. J. Anaesth., February 1, 2009; 102(2): 179 - 190.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
G. Tzovaras, K. Pratsas, S. Georgopoulou, I. Ahmed, A. A. J. van Zundert, and J. A. W. Wildsmith
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy using spinal anaesthesia.
Br. J. Anaesth., November 1, 2007; 99(5): 744 - 745.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
M. G. Serpell, P. D. W. Fettes, and J. A. W. Wildsmith
Pencil point spinal needles and neurological damage
Br. J. Anaesth., November 1, 2002; 89(5): 800 - 801.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
R. Shankar, P. D. W. Fettes, and J. A. W. Wildsmith
Somebody else's nervous system
Br. J. Anaesth., October 1, 2002; 89(4): 662 - 663.
[Full Text] [PDF]