[Plasma levels of bupivacaine following inadvertent intravascular injection via a peridural catheter].

We report on a 57 year old woman, who suffered from an inadvertent intravascular injection of bupivacaine via a perforating epidural catheter. At the end of the epidural injection she showed symptoms of toxicity caused by the local anaesthetic. Venous blood dripping out of the epidural catheter and central venous blood were sampled simultaneously and analysis of plasma levels of bupivacaine were performed.