What is the difference between an intrathecal and an epidural?
An intrathecal is an injection of narcotics (and sometimes small amounts of local anesthetics) into the spinal fluid, which is in direct contact with the spinal cord. An epidural is an injection or infusion of local anesthetic/narcotic mixture into the epidural space, where the nerves come out of the spinal canal to the various parts of the body. Both techniques produce excellent pain relief by temporarily reducing the function of the sensory nerves. Each technique has it’s pro’s and con’s. Please see “Epidurals: Frequently Asked Questions” to make a full comparison of the two techniques. Ask your doctor for further explanation. The material above was gathered from a number of web sites available to the general public including the public information site of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the Yale-Newhaven Hospital maternity site, and many others. Additional material was obtained while in clinical practice at the Mayo clinic and while in private practice. All informati
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