Indications and contraindications for caudal epidural anesthesia

Caudal epidural anesthesia is a regional technique used for pain management in adults and children, particularly for lower limb and urological procedures. It offers effective analgesia but must be performed with careful patient selection and technique.

6/6/2025• 6 min read• 75 views

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Caudal Epidural Anesthesia Techniques in Adults and Children

Introduction

Caudal epidural anesthesia is a widely used regional anesthesia technique, particularly for pediatric patients. It involves the administration of anesthetic agents into the caudal epidural space to block pain transmission effectively.

Indications

Pediatric surgical procedures (e.g., urological, lower limb surgeries)
Postoperative pain management
Chronic pain treatment in adults

Contraindications

Coagulopathy or bleeding disorders
Infection at the injection site
Anatomic abnormalities of the sacral hiatus
Patient refusal

Procedure

After proper positioning and antiseptic preparation, a needle is inserted through the sacral hiatus to administer the anesthetic agent, typically using a combination of local anesthetics and adjunct analgesics.