title: Inverse correlation between the peak venous serum concentration of bupivacaine and the weight of the patient during interscalene brachial plexus block.
abstract: Thirty-five adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis received for 36 interscalene brachial plexus blocks a standard dose of bupivacaine 200 mg, regardless of the weight (range 39.2-102.5 kg) of the patient. The peak venous serum concentrations (Cmax) of bupivacaine, measured by HPLC, were in the range 0.82-4.30 mg litre-1; there were no signs of toxicity. There was a very significant inverse correlation between the Cmax of bupivacaine and the weight of the patient (r = -0.5922; t = -4.285; P = 0.0001, Pearson's test). In spite of the correlation, only 35.1% of the total variance could be explained by regression. Thus weight had little influence on Cmax under interscalene brachial plexus block.
authors.affiliation: Paimio Hospital, Preitilä, Finland.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Pihlajamäki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000601:surgery; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001917:Brachial Plexus; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block
chemical_list: D002045:Bupivacaine