Pharmacology of local anesthetics and clinical aspects of segment blockade. I. Epidural anesthesia
Svetlov, V.A.; Kozlov, S.P.
Anesteziologiia i Reanimatologiia 5: 52-55
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0201-7563 PMID: 9432894 Document Number: 476662
Clinical pharmacology of three local anesthetics is studied. Seventy-five patients operated on under epidural anesthesia with 2% lidocaine solution, citanest, and ultracaine without adrenalin were examined. Lidocaine and ultracaine ensured a more rapid development of the epidural block (12.1 +/- 1.2 and 11.1 +/- 1.5 min, respectively) in comparison with citanest (15.4 +/- 1.1 min, p < 0.05). Lesser doses of ultracaine are needed for the development of a sensory block of the same extent than of lidocaine (1.7 +/- 0.05 and 2.2 +/- 0.2 ml per segment, respectively, p < 0.05). Citanest dose (in solution) is intermediate: 1.9 +/- 0.15 ml per segment. Ultracaine and citanest provide a more profound sensory block in comparison with lidocaine. However, there were 16% of incomplete ("mosaic") anesthesias in the citanest group. The duration of sensory blocking was the maximal in the citanest group (107.1 +/- 7.1 min), ultracaine ranked second (94 +/- 4.4 min, p < 0.05), and lidocaine third (70.6 +/- 4.0 min, p < 0.05). The authors discuss the clinical picture of epidural blocking by different anesthetics and compare their physicochemical characteristics.