Advantages and guidelines for using epidural drugs for analgesia.

The administration of drugs by the epidural route is a safe and effective method for providing analgesia before, during, and after a surgical procedure. Local anesthetics administered by this route block nociceptive input as well as providing excellent muscle relaxation for surgery. The use of local anesthetics may be associated with short-term motor dysfunction and hypotension as a result of sympathetic blockade. Morphine given by the epidural route also provides effective analgesia and has the advantages of giving more prolonged analgesia with no effect on either motor or sympathetic pathways.