| Description |
High and total spinals are acute, potentially life threatening risks of spinal anesthesia, occurring when the cephalad spread of the local anesthetic (LA) reaches a higher level than intended.1 The morbidly obese, a rapidly growing segment of the United States population,2-4 may be at in-creased risk of high or total spinals when undergoing neuraxial anesthesia. If symptoms are not identified and treated early, a high or total spinal can have devastating consequences, even death.1 Anesthesia practitioners must be able to quickly identify a high or total spinal and inter-vene swiftly to prevent any lasting sequelae. |
