title: Cardiotoxicity of ropivacaine--a new amide local anaesthetic agent.
abstract: Anaesthetically equipotent doses of lidocaine, bupivacaine and a new bupivacaine-like local anaesthetic agent, ropivacaine, were injected into the left anterior descending coronary artery of pentobarbital-anaesthetized pigs. The aim was to study the cardiotoxicity of ropivacaine in relation to the two other drugs. A random, crossover, dose response study design was used. The following doses of the drugs were administered: lidocaine (L): 1,2,4,8 and 16 mg, bupivacaine (B): 0.25, 0.5, 1,2 and 4 mg and ropivacaine (R): 0.33, 0.66 1.33, 2.66 and 5.33 mg. Systemic haemodynamics, left ventricular dP/dT and a 12-lead electrocardiogram were recorded continuously during the study period. The drugs depressed cardiac contractility in relation to their local anaesthetic potency on the isolated nerve-4:3:1 (B:R:L). The prolongation of the ECG QRS-interval was regarded as a measure of electrophysiologic toxicity. Comparable prolongation of the QRS-interval was recorded after 2 mg of bupivacaine, 4.5 mg of ropivacaine and 30 mg of lidocaine. Thus, the electrophysiological toxicity ratio was 15:6.7:1 (B:R:L). Provided local anaesthetic potency data can be extrapolated from the isolated nerve preparation to regional anaesthesia in humans, ropivacaine appears to provide a greater margin of safety than bupivacaine, if inadvertently injected into the venous circulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reiz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Häggmark
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nath
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides / Q000633:toxicity*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000633:toxicity; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000633:toxicity; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D008012:Lidocaine; D002045:Bupivacaine