Intrathecal sufentanil (1.5 microg) added to hyperbaric bupivacaine (0.5%) for elective cesarean section provides adequate analgesia without need for pruritus therapy.
OBJECTIVE
We compared the effects of different doses of intrathecal sufentanil when administered together with hyperbaric bupivacaine for elective caesarean section.


METHODS
This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial involving 100 pregnant women, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I-II, who were scheduled for elective caesarean section under spinal anesthesia. The patients were assigned to four groups according to the dose of sufentanil used: no sufentanil (group I; placebo) or 1.5, 2.5, or 5.0 microg sufentanil (groups 2-4, respectively). In every group, the local anesthetic used was hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% (12.5 mg), and the total volume of the solution was 3.5 ml. The duration of complete analgesia, maternal side effects, and maternal/fetal outcomes were recorded. The duration of complete analgesia was defined as the time from intrathecal injection to a vernal analogue score (VAS) of more than 0.


RESULTS
No patient experienced intraoperative pain. The duration of complete analgesia was prolonged in all groups receiving opioids. The duration of the analgesia and the 0- to 6-h intravenous analgesic requirements were similar in the sufentanil groups. Moreover, the sufentanil groups had longer durations of complete analgesia than the placebo group. Pruritus was more frequent in the 2.5- and 5-microg sufentanil groups than in the 1.5-microg sufentanil and placebo groups. There were no differences among the groups in umbilical cord blood gases on in neonatal Apgar scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of sufentanil 1.5 and 2.5 microg to hyperbaric bupivacaine provided adequate anesthesia for caesarean delivery and good postoperative analgesia. In addition, the incidence of pruritus was significantly lower in the 1.5-microg sufentanil group when compared with that in the 2.5- and 5-microg groups.
Demiraran
Yavuz
Y
Department of Anaesthesia, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Duzce School of Medicine, Duzce, Turkey.
Ozdemir
Ismail
I
Kocaman
Buket
B
Yucel
Oguz
O
D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl; D006801:Humans; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017409:Sufentanil / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D017409:Sufentanil; D005283:Fentanyl; D002045:Bupivacaine