Lumbar epidural anaesthesia with bupivacaine 0.75%. A clinical evaluation of 371 cases.

371 patients have been given lumbar epidural anaesthesia with 17 ml of 0.75% plain bupivacaine in connection with operations on the lower extremities, in the lower abdomen or perineum. More than 90% of these had a good anaesthesia and a pronounced motor blockade. The frequency of serious complications was low and they were usually due to the spread of anaesthesia, leading to circulatory and respiratory insufficiency. It is therefore essential to be able to treat such complications rapidly.