Spinal anesthesia with hyperbaric bupivacaine: effect of added vasoconstrictors.
The effect of adding 0.2 ml of 1:1000 epinephrine or 0.5 ml of 1% phenylephrine to 3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine in 8% dextrose for spinal anesthesia was assessed in 30 patients in a double-blind study. The addition of phenylephrine gave a small prolongation of the block which was not statistically significant. Although epinephrine produced a greater prolongation, this only reached statistical significance with regard to total duration. Three patients who received solutions that contained a vasopressor had prolonged blocks, but these solutions could not be relied upon to produce consistently a clinically significant increase in duration in individual patients.
D000368:Aged; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000379:methods*; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D004338:Drug Combinations; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine; D002045:Bupivacaine; D004837:Epinephrine