title: Stellate ganglion block with bupivacaine. Minimum effective concentration of bupivacaine and the effect of added potassium.
abstract: Sympathetic blockade after stellate ganglion block with bupivacaine was assessed by liquid crystal thermography. The minimum concentration of bupivacaine required for successful block was between 325 and 406 mumol/litre. Further study of bupivacaine in a solution that contained potassium 5 mmol/litre showed that this reduced the minimum concentration of bupivacaine required for successful block to between 81 and 162 mumol/litre. We conclude that potassium has a major effect on the minimum concentration of bupivacaine required for sympathetic blockade.
authors.affiliation: Pain Relief Foundation, Liverpool.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hardy
mesh_terms: D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D009407:Nerve Block; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000187:drug effects*; D013817:Thermography
chemical_list: D011188:Potassium; D002045:Bupivacaine