title: Level of injection in spinal anesthesia: effect on sensory anesthetic level.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A prospective, randomized study was performed to investigate the influence of the level of injection on sensory anesthesia when bupivacaine 0.5% adjusted to 37.0 C was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three milliliters of plain bupivacaine 0.5% were injected at either the L2-3 interspace or the L4-5 interspace. There were 10 patients in each group. The patients were kept sitting for 2 minutes after injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference in maximal level of sensory anesthesia was found (p = 0.123).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results indicate that if a higher level of injection is more suitable for anatomic reasons, it can safely be used without the risk of a much higher level of sensory blockade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Frederiksberg Hospital Ndr., Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Callesen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thage
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertelsen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Christiansen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000379:methods*; D002045:Bupivacaine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D013346:Subarachnoid Space
chemical_list: D002045:Bupivacaine