Ventilatory Reserve and Level of Motor Block During High Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia

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Abstract
Eighteen subjects were successively given spinal anesthesia with 50 to 75 mg. lidocaine, and epidural anesthesia with 15 to 35 ml of 2% lidocaine containing 1200,000 epinephrine. Mean levels of cutaneous analgesia (pin prick) and motor block (electromyography) were T 2.3 [plus or minus] 1.8 and T5.1[plus or minus] 2.4, respectively, with spinal anesthesia, and T 3.6 [plus or minus] 1.2 and T 8.2 [plus or minus] 2.6 with epidural anesthesia. Mean inspirator capacity fell 8% with spinal anesthesia and 3% with epidural anesthesia. Mean expiratory reserve volume fell 48% with spinal anesthesia and 21% with epidural anesthesia.