Abstract
Cervical epidural analgesia has been applied to 48 cases of cardiovascular surgery and 100 cases of thoracic surgery.
The ages of these cases ranged from 20 to 76 years. Epidural catheter was inserted at the level of C7-Th3 interspace. Epidural analgesia was induced using 8.62±1.52 ml of 1% mepivacaine because the cardiovascular depression was more remarkable with 2% than 1% mepivacaine. There was a significant decrease in arterial blood pressure and heart rate and thus a decrease in the rate pressure product was observed during anesthesia.
It is important to keep blood transfusion balance negative at the end of operation and infusion balance not over+1500 ml in patients with disturbed pulmonary function or in the eldery.
Thus, epidural analgesia seems to be best for the elderly patients.
