Maternal risk from local and regional obstetric anesthesia.

Maternal complications (Table 2) are primarily in the form of systemic reactions from inadvertent intravascular injections in spite of attempted aspiration. In order to avoid maternal complications, it is recommended to inject the anesthestic directly under the vaginal epidermis; e.g., not to insert the tipe of the cannula deeper than 2-3 mm. This decreases the possiblity of an injection into a uterine vessel.