title: The incidence of transient neurological symptoms after spinal anaesthesia with lidocaine compared to prilocaine.
abstract: The purpose of this double-blind study was to investigate the incidence of transient neurological symptoms after the use of isobaric lidocaine and isobaric prilocaine for spinal anaesthesia. Seventy patients (ASA 1-2, age between 18 and 70 years) were randomly assigned to two groups of 35 patients each, to receive either isobaric 2% lidocaine 4 ml or isobaric 2% prilocaine 4 ml intrathecally, at the L3-4 interspace. One patient in the prilocaine group could not be included because data were incomplete. On the first postoperative day, patients were evaluated for transient neurological symptoms. Pain was scored on a 10-point scale. Seven patients (20%) in the lidocaine group had transient neurological symptoms with a mean pain score of 5.3, whereas no patient in the prilocaine group had these complaints (p = 0.006). Symptoms disappeared within 4 days. Prilocaine results in a lower incidence of transient neurological symptoms than lidocaine intrathecally and therefore it is more suitable for short surgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Nijmegen, Post-box 9101, Geert Grooteplein 18, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Weert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Traksel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gielen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Slappendel
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dirksen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000139:chemically induced; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011318:Prilocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D011318:Prilocaine; D008012:Lidocaine