Continuous Spinal Anesthesia and Analgesia in Obstetrics

The development of the technique of continuous spinal anesthesia as it relates to the obstetric population is recounted. The advantages and disadvantages of continuous spinal anesthesia are examined, currently available catheters and kits are reviewed, and strategies for the management of continuous spinal techniques for labor analgesia and surgical anesthesia are discussed. Continuous spinal anesthesia may have particular value over other regional techniques in several specific clinical circumstances.

Continuous spinal anesthesia is one of the most useful, versatile, and reliable techniques available for providing analgesia and anesthesia, in both obstetric and nonobstetric populations. Despite its inherent advantages, it is also one of the most underutilized of regional anesthetic techniques. Though the use of continuous spinal anesthesia in the obstetric population dates back almost 7 decades, wider use and acceptance have been hampered primarily by limitations of the available equipment. 

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