spinal anesthesia
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of regional anesthesia: Spinal anesthesia is a medical procedure that induces a complete loss of sensation (anesthesia) in the lower half of the body. This is achieved by injecting a local anesthetic drug directly into the cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space, which surrounds the spinal cord. It blocks nerve signals from the lower body to the brain.
Usage
- Spinal anesthesia is primarily used for surgical procedures below the waist, such as cesarean sections, hip or knee replacements, and hernia repairs.
- It provides effective pain relief while allowing the patient to remain conscious.
- The effect is temporary, lasting for a specific duration determined by the type and dose of anesthetic used.
Examples
- Noun:
- The patient received spinal anesthesia for the prostate surgery.
- Spinal anesthesia is often preferred for lower abdominal operations.
- A common side effect of spinal anesthesia is a headache.
Advanced Usage
- "to administer spinal anesthesia": to perform the procedure of giving the anesthetic injection.
- The anesthesiologist will administer spinal anesthesia before the operation begins.
- "under spinal anesthesia": describes the state of a patient during the procedure.
- The surgery was performed while the patient was under spinal anesthesia.
Variants and Related Words
- Spinal block (n): A common synonym for spinal anesthesia.
- The doctor decided a spinal block was the best option.
- Subarachnoid block (n): A more technical term referring to the specific anatomical site of the injection.
- Epidural anesthesia (n): A related but different technique where anesthetic is injected into the epidural space outside the dura mater, often used for pain relief during childbirth.
Synonyms
- Spinal block
- Subarachnoid block
Related Phrases
- Regional anesthesia: The broader category of anesthesia that numbs a specific part of the body, which includes spinal anesthesia.
- Neuraxial anesthesia: An umbrella term for anesthesia involving the spinal canal, encompassing both spinal and epidural techniques.
Noun
-
anesthesia of the lower half of the body; caused by injury to the spinal cord or by injecting an anesthetic beneath the arachnoid membrane that surrounds the spinal cord
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