Editing Epidural administration (section)

== Recovery ==
Epidural analgesia is generally well tolerated, with recovery time quick after administration is complete and the epidural is removed. The epidural catheter is usually removed when it is possible to safely switch to oral administration of medications, though catheters can safely remain in place for several days with little risk of bacterial infection,<ref name="Kost1998">{{cite journal |vauthors=Kost-Byerly S, Tobin JR, Greenberg RS, Billett C, Zahurak M, Yaster M | title = Bacterial colonization and infection rate of continuous epidural catheters in children | journal = Anesth Analg | volume = 86 | issue = 4 | pages = 712–6 | year = 1998 | pmid = 9539589 | doi = 10.1097/00000539-199804000-00007 | s2cid = 22716908 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="Kostopanagiotou2002">{{cite journal |vauthors=Kostopanagiotou G, Kyroudi S, Panidis D, Relia P, Danalatos A, Smyrniotis V, Pourgiezi T, Kouskouni E, Voros D | title = Epidural catheter colonization is not associated with infection | journal = Surgical Infections | volume = 3 | issue = 4 | pages = 359–65 | year = 2002 | pmid = 12697082 | doi = 10.1089/109629602762539571 }}</ref><ref name="Yuan2008">{{cite journal |vauthors=Yuan HB, Zuo Z, Yu KW, Lin WM, Lee HC, Chan KH | title = Bacterial colonization of epidural catheters used for short-term postoperative analgesia: microbiological examination and risk factor analysis | journal = Anesthesiology | volume = 108 | issue = 1 | pages = 130–7 | year = 2008 | pmid = 18156891 | doi = 10.1097/01.anes.0000296066.79547.f3 | doi-access = free }}</ref> particularly if the skin is prepared with a [[chlorhexidine]] solution.<ref name="Kinirons2001">{{cite journal |vauthors=Kinirons B, Mimoz O, Lafendi L, Naas T, Meunier J, Nordmann P | s2cid = 20016232 | title = Chlorhexidine versus povidone iodine in preventing colonization of continuous epidural catheters in children: a randomized, controlled trial | journal = Anesthesiology | volume = 94 | issue = 2 | pages = 239–44 | year = 2001 | pmid = 11176087 | doi = 10.1097/00000542-200102000-00012 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Subcutaneously tunneled epidural catheters may be safely left in place for longer periods, with a low risk of infection or other complications.<ref name="Aram2001">{{cite journal |vauthors=Aram L, Krane EJ, Kozloski LJ, Yaster M | s2cid = 21017121 | title = Tunneled epidural catheters for prolonged analgesia in pediatric patients | journal = Anesth Analg | volume = 92 | issue = 6 | pages = 1432–8 | year = 2001 | pmid = 11375820 | doi = 10.1097/00000539-200106000-00016 }}</ref><ref name="Bubeck2004">{{cite journal |vauthors=Bubeck J, Boos K, Krause H, Thies KC | title = Subcutaneous tunneling of caudal catheters reduces the rate of bacterial colonization to that of lumbar epidural catheters | journal = Anesthesia & Analgesia| volume = 99 | issue = 3 | pages = 689–93, table of contents | year = 2004 | pmid = 15333395 | doi = 10.1213/01.ANE.0000130023.48259.FB | s2cid = 31939386 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Regardless of the length of use, the effects of a medicine administered epidurally, including numbness if used for analgesia, usually wear off within a few hours of the epidural being stopped, with full recovery of normal function within 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web |title=Epidural |url=https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/epidural/ |website=NHS |publisher=UK [[National Health Service]] |access-date=2 December 2020 |language=en |date=11 March 2020}}</ref>

The use of epidural analgesia during a birth does not have any effect on whether a caesarean section must be performed during future births. Epidural analgesia during childbirth also generally has no negative effects on the long-term health of the mother or child.<ref name="Anim-Somuah2018" /> Use of epidural analgesia versus oral analgesia or no analgesia has no effect on the normal length of hospital stay after childbirth, the only difference being that care must be performed around the epidural insertion site to prevent infection.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cassanova |first1=Robert |title=Beckmann and Ling's obstetrics and gynecology |date=2018 |publisher=Wolters Kluwer |location=Philadelphia |isbn=978-1-4963-5309-2 |pages=120–126 |edition=8th}}</ref> Following epidural analgesia used for gastrointestinal surgery, the time to recovery of normal gastrointestinal function is not significantly different from recovery time after intravenous analgesia.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shi |first1=W.-Z. |last2=Miao |first2=Y.-L. |last3=Yakoob |first3=M. Y. |last4=Cao |first4=J.-B. |last5=Zhang |first5=H. |last6=Jiang |first6=Y.-G. |last7=Xu |first7=L.-H. |last8=Mi |first8=W.-D. |title=Recovery of gastrointestinal function with thoracic epidural vs. systemic analgesia following gastrointestinal surgery: Analgesia and gastrointestinal function |journal=Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica |date=September 2014 |volume=58 |issue=8 |pages=923–932 |doi=10.1111/aas.12375|pmid=25060245 |s2cid=27573664 }}</ref> The use of epidural analgesia during cardiac surgeries may shorten the amount of time a person requires ventilator support following surgery, but it is unknown whether it shortens the overall post-surgery hospital stay overall.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jakobsen |first1=Carl-Johan |title=High Thoracic Epidural in Cardiac Anesthesia: A Review |journal=Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia |date=March 2015 |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=38–48 |doi=10.1177/1089253214548764|pmid=25201889 |s2cid=24662760 }}</ref>