Presented in part at the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s 27th Annual Meeting, Washington DC, USA; March 2011.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
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The influence of patient position on withdrawal force of thoracic epidural catheters*
Article first published online: 4 OCT 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2011.06913.x
Anaesthesia © 2011 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland
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How to Cite
Sim, W. S., Choi, J. W., Lee, C. J., Nahm, F. S., Lee, S. H., Shin, B. S. and Cho, H. S. (2012), The influence of patient position on withdrawal force of thoracic epidural catheters*. Anaesthesia, 67: 19–22. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2011.06913.x
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Publication History
- Issue published online: 12 DEC 2011
- Article first published online: 4 OCT 2011
- Accepted: 22 August 2011
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Summary
We investigated the forces required to remove thoracic epidural catheters to determine the effect of patient position on removal. Eighty-four patients undergoing open thoracotomy and thoracic patient-controlled epidural analgesia were enrolled. Catheterisation was performed under fluoroscopic guidance before surgery, and the patients were allocated to one of three position groups for removal: prone; sitting; and lateral. On the third postoperative day, the peak tension during withdrawal in the assigned position was measured. No differences in mean (SD) forces were found between groups: prone 1.61 (0.39) N, supine 1.62 (0.61) N and lateral 1.36 (0.56) N (p = 0.140). The withdrawal forces required to remove thoracic epidural catheters were not affected by the position. Thus, the position for removal can be determined by patient’s choice and clinical judgement.