Cerebrospinal Fluid Cells and Proteins Following Spinal Anesthesia

Abstract

Total protein, albumin and globulin determina-tions in 45 cerebrospinal fluid samples obtained one to 18 days follow-ing uneventful spinal anesthesia revealed mild to moderate fluctuations which appeared to be directly related to similar changes in . simultaneously collected blood samples. There was no significant difference among patients receiving different anesthetic agents. Cerebrospinal fluid samples obtained 1 and 4 days, respectively, following complaint by 2 patients of pain radiating to the leg during lumbar puncture showed marked increases in protein content while the serum protein values declined. Cerebrospinal protein analysis by electrophoresis performed on cerebrospinal fluid samples prior to, and three or six days after uneventful spinal anesthesia revealed normal patterns without significant changes when four different anesthetic agents were used. Cerebrospinal fluid cell counts in samples obtained prior to and 12 to 24 hours after the injection of spinal anesthetics showed a high incidence of increase in red blood cells in both pre- and postanesthetic specimens, but no abnormal change in white cell content. It is significant that, with modern care of spinal drugs and equipment, no cerebrospinal fluid protein or cell changes developed which were due specifically either to uneventful lumbar puncture or to injection of the anesthetic drug.