Abstract
We have evaluated the influence of speed of intrathecal injection on lateral distribution of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine. We studied 60 patients undergoing lower limb surgery who were placed in the lateral position with the operative side in the dependent position. After dural puncture (25-gauge Whitacre spinal needle), the needle aperture was turned towards the dependent side and 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 8 mg was injected randomly at a rate of 0.02 ml s-1 (group slow, n = 30) or 0.25 ml s-1 (group fast, n = 30). Lateral position was maintained for 15 min while a blinded observer recorded loss of pinprick sensation and degree of motor block on both surgical and non-surgical sides. There were no differences between the groups. Forty-five minutes after patients were turned to the supine position, spinal anaesthesia was unilateral in 17 patients in group slow (56%) and in 13 patients in group fast (43%). We conclude that using extremely low speeds for intrathecal injection were not clinically advantageous in obtaining unilateral spinal anaesthesia.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 355-357 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | British Journal of Anaesthesia |
Volume | 81 |
Issue number | 3 |
Publication status | Published - 1998 |
Keywords
- Anaesthesia
- Anaesthetics local
- Bupivacaine
- Subarachnoid
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine