Epidural pain management after open lateral thoracotomy: Female patients have better pain relief and need smaller amounts of analgesics than males.

Background and aims There is an ongoing dispute whether or not there is a gender difference in epidural drug requirements. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of a triple drug epidural mixture used for postoperative pain relief on male and female patients undergoing major surgery. Materials and methods To avoid possible influence of different age and type of surgery only 50-70 year old patients undergoing open lateral thoracotomy were included.

Reducing risk of spinal haematoma from spinal and epidural pain procedures.

Background And Aims: Central neuraxial blocks (CNB: epidural, spinal and their combinations) and other spinal pain procedures can cause serious harm to the spinal cord in patients on antihaemostatic drugs or who have other risk-factors for bleeding in the spinal canal. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide a practise advisory on how to reduce risk of spinal cord injury from spinal haematoma (SH) during CNBs and other spinal pain procedures. Scandinavian guidelines from 2010 are part of the background for this practise advisory.