Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 8, 405-416, Copyright © 1961 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

Neurological Complications of Spinal Anaesthesia

¹ Professor of Surgery (Anaesthesia) and Chief of Anaesthesia Section, University of Illinois College of Medicine; Chief, Anaesthesiology Section, Veterans' Administration Hospital, Hines, Illinois
² Clinical Assistant Professor of Anaesthesia, University of Illinois College of Medicine; Assistant Chief, Anaesthesiology Section, Veterans' Administration Hospital, Hines, Illinois
³ Staff Anaesthesiologist, Veterans' Administration Hospital, Hines, Illinois. Present address: Elgin, Ill

Twenty-four neurological complications attributable to spinal anaesthesia were found in a series of 20,000 consecutive spinal anaesthetics, an over-all incidence of 0.12%. Of these 24, nine were persistent headaches lasting one week or longer with complete recovery. In three of these cases, the patients probably should not have been subjected spinal anaesthesia because they were moribund or nearly so prior to the administration of the anaesthetic and an error of judgment rather than an indictment of the technique should be blamed. Three cases of meningitis with two recoveries were also included because the spinal technique cannot be ruled out as the introducing factor in causing the meningitis, although there is reasonable doubt as to whether this was actually the case. Two cases of chronic backache were the remaining complications.

It is quite interesting that of the 17 neurological conditions sought in our study, only the above five occurred. There were no incidences of transverse myelitis, radiculitis, peripheral nerve lesion, foot drop, neuritides, paralyses, muscular weakness, deafness, cranial nerve lesions, persistent lower bowel and bladder dysfunction, or cauda equina syndome observed.