The editorial, written by David J. Birnbach, MD, of University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Charles A. Vincent, PhD, of Imperial College London, was spurred by continued reports of complications caused by injection of drugs intended for intravenous use into the spine, epidural space or general circulation.
Other types of accidental drug administrations have been eliminated by designing systems that make it difficult or impossible to inject the wrong type of drug into the wrong type of catheter. Although such systems have been proposed for epidural or spinal catheters, they have yet to be developed or evaluated. The authors contend the “larger problem” is the lack of consensus, pressure and motivation to progress in the development of a safer spinal catheter system.
“What is essential at this point is that all concerned parties must meet, that a consensus regarding the most effective solution be developed, and that all epidural and spinal kits use this new safer alternative to epidural catheter design,” the authors wrote.
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