Principles of Regional Blockade for the Obstetric Anaesthetist

This presentation will teach you to describe the differences between the function of somatic nerves and the neurones that travel through ganglia, and describe the parts of the body that each nerve root supplies.

This presentation will teach you to describe how local anaesthetic concentration, volume, and patient position influence the spread and intensity of both epidural and spinal blocks. And you should then be able to use this knowledge to better deliver both analgesia and anaesthesia in your clinical practice.

This presentation will teach you to describe the differences between pain in early and late labour, match the expected effects of regional block with the desired effects for pain relief in labour using ‘the grid’ and recognise the advantages and disadvantages of epidural and combined spinal / epidural techniques for pain relief in labour.

This presentation will teach you to to describe how to perform a spinal and an epidural for a caesarean section, match the expected effects of a regional block to the desired effects for a caesarean delivery using ‘the grid’ and understand why some of the common pitfalls occur and know how to avoid them.

This presentation will teach you to use the grid to match the expected effects of regional block with the desired effects for trial of assisted delivery and conversion to caesarean section if required, describe how to provide analgesia for assisted vaginal delivery using epidural top up and CSE techniques, and describe how to convert the block to provide anaesthesia for a caesarean section in the case of a failed instrumental delivery.

This presentation will teach you to describe the conditions required for regional analgesia for insertion of cervical suture and be able to use this knowledge to plan how to safely administer a regional block for other perineal procedures, including in patients suffering from significant medical co-morbidities.