title: [Comparison of carbonated lidocaine and mepivacaine in epidural anesthesia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare carbonated mepivacaine to carbonated lidocaine in epidural anaesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nonrandomised control trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  University Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients undergoing epidural anaesthesia for orthopaedic surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epidural anaesthesia at the fourth lumbar interspace, administering either carbonated mepivacaine 20 ml (group M, 20 patients) or carbonated lidocaine 20 ml (group L, 20 patients). Parameters recorded: onset of sensory block (time required to reach L1 and time required to reach the upper level), cranial spread of analgesia (number of dermatomes), duration of block (time between achievement of maximum spread of analgesia and regression of sensory block by two dermatomes) and motor block (Bromage score).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant differences have been found between group M and group L in the time required to reach L1 (means and standard deviations 6.3 +/- 3.8 and 6.5 +/- 2.1 minutes, respectively), in the time required to reach the upper level of analgesia (means and standard deviations 14.3 +/- 4.2 and 16.5 +/- 3.5 minutes, respectively), in the cranial spread of analgesia (means and standard deviations 7.1 +/- 3.4 and 7.6 +/- 2.7 dermatomes, respectively) and in the degree of motor block (means and standard deviations 1.5 +/- 0.8 and 1.1 +/- 0.8, respectively). Group M exhibited a much higher duration of sensory block, compared to group L (means and standard deviations 91.6 +/- 20.2 and 58.8 +/- 23.4 minutes, respectively, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carbonated mepivacaine is more indicated than carbonated lidocaine in epidural anaesthesia when a high duration of sensory block is desired.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Pluridisciplinare di Anestesia, Rianimazione e Terapia Intensiva, Università degli Studi di Messina.
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Venuti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Curatolo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mandolfino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orlando
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008619:Mepivacaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009985:Orthopedics
chemical_list: D008012:Lidocaine; D008619:Mepivacaine
vernacular_title: Confronto tra lidocaina e mepivacaina carbonata nell'anestesia epidurale.