The safe spinal anaesthetic Spinal anaesthesia is not without its complications and should only be performed for the correct indications. Mariane Gertruida Senekal, BMedSc, MB ChB, DA, MMed (Anaesthesiology) Principal Specialist, Department of Anaesthesiology, 3 Military Hospital, and Senior Lecturer, Department of Anaesthesiology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein Mariane Senekal did her undergraduate training at Stellenbosch University and her postgraduate anaesthesia training at the University of the Free State where she obtained the MMed (Anaesthesiology) in 2005. She has an interest in obstetric anaesthesia, orthopaedic anaesthesia, anaesthesia-related physiology and teaching and training of anaesthesia. Correspondence to: M Senekal (
[email protected]) Spinal anaesthesia is relatively easy to must be titrated with care. During the avoided. Indications and contra-indications perform and can potentially be excellent postoperative period the patient should are listed in Table 1. for below the umbilicus. However, it be admitted to the recovery room and can also give rise to serious side-effects monitored. Physiology and complications. To perform a safe Local anaesthetic solution injected into the procedure, the anaesthetist must have A spinal anaesthetic subarachnoid space blocks conduction of adequate knowledge of the indications should only be impulses along all nerves with which it comes and contra-indications, and of the relevant in contact. It acts mainly at spinal nerve roots, anatomy, physiology and pharmacology performed for the although some effect is possible at the cord of spinal anaesthesia. The patient must correct indications. itself. Smaller autonomic and sensory fibres be assessed before administration of the are blocked more easily than motor fibres.