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Home‐readiness after spinal anaesthesia with small doses of hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine
Author(s) -
Tarkkila P.,
Huhtala J.,
Tuominen M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1997.223-az0358.x
Subject(s) - medicine , spinal anesthesia , bupivacaine , anesthesia
Fifty‐four patients were studied prospectively to evaluate home‐readiness after a small dose (1 or 2 ml) of subarachnoid hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine. The block regressed significantly earlier in the 1 ml group than in the 2 ml group (p < 0.05). The patients were also able to walk significantly earlier in the 1 ml group (median 161 min and 231 min in the 1 ml and 2 ml groups, respectively) (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in time of ability to void. We conclude that adequate surgical anaesthesia can be achieved with small doses of hyperbaric bupivacaine used for spinal anaesthesia. Although the sensory and motor block after 1 or 2 ml hyperbaric bupivacaine recovered within a reasonable time for day‐case surgery, in some patients recovery of the ability to void was delayed to an undesirable extent.