Open AccessArterial and Venous Plasma Levels of Bupivacaine Following Peripheral Nerve Blocks
Author(s) -
Daniel C. Moore,
Laurence E. Mather,
L. Donald Bridenbaugh,
Robert I. Balfour,
Donald F. Lysons,
William G. Horton
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
anesthesia and analgesia/anesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.404
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1526-7598
pISSN - 0003-2999
DOI - 10.1213/00000539-197611000-00003
Subject(s) - medicine , bupivacaine , anesthesia , nerve block , peripheral , brachial plexus , brachial plexus block , sciatic nerve , block (permutation group theory) , intercostal nerves , geometry , mathematics
Mean arterial plasma (MAP) and peripheral mean venous plasma (MVP) levels of bupivacaine were ascertained in 3 groups of 10 patients each for: (1) intercostal nerve block, 400 mg; (2) block of the sciatic, femoral, and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves, with or without block of the obturator nerve, 400 mg; and (3) supraclavicular brachial plexus block, 300 mg. MAP levels were consistently higher than simultaneously sampled MVP levels, the highest levels occurring from bilateral intercostal nerve block. No evidence of systemic toxicity was observed. The results suggest that bupivacaine has a much wider margin of safety in humans than is now stated.