Continuous spinal anaesthesia

Abstract

Continuous spinal anaesthesia (CSA) is an infrequently used anaesthetic technique, where an intrathecal catheter (ITC) allows titrated injection of local anaesthetic into the intrathecal space to produce a subarachnoid block. Unlike single dose spinal anaesthesia (SDSA) where a fixed larger dose can result in an unpredictable block height and haemodynamic instability, titratable CSA allows lower doses to be used and the ability to extend the duration of anaesthesia if required.