Hypersensitivity to amide-type local anaesth. Acute active CNS disease eg, meningitis, tumours, poliomyelitis, cranial haemorrhage; spinal stenosis & active disease eg, spondylitis, tumour or recent trauma eg, vertebral column fracture; septicaemia; pernicious anaemia w/ subacute combined spinal cord degeneration; pyogenic skin infection at or adjacent to puncture site; cardiogenic or hypovolaemic shock; coagulation disorders or ongoing anticoagulant treatment.