title: [Faster onset time of supraclavicular brachial plexus block using local anesthetic diluted with dextrose].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A high sodium concentration is known to antagonize local anesthetics when infiltrated around neural tissue. Thus, we hypothesized that the onset time for sensory and motor blockade, in supraclavicular brachial plexus block using ropivacaine diluted with dextrose would be shorter than with saline.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients scheduled for upper limb surgery were randomized to receive ultrasound guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block with 0.5% ropivacaine. Evaluation of sensory and motor blockade was performed every 5min for 60min. Patients were followed-up on postoperative day 1, and between days 7 and 10 for the presence of any complications. Twenty-five patients in each group were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean time for onset of analgesia for the dextrose group was 37.6±12.9min while the mean time for the saline group was 45.2±13.9min with a p-value of 0.05. The effect size was 0.567, which was moderate to large. No major complications were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that there was a decrease in onset time of analgesia when dextrose was used as a diluent instead of saline for ultrasound guided supraclavicular block.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anestesiologia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malásia.
authors.forename: Hong Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anestesiologia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malásia. Electronic address: shahnaz@ummc.edu.my.
authors.forename: Mohd Shahnaz
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.affiliation: Julius Centre University Malaya, Departamento de Medicina Preventiva e Social, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malásia.
authors.forename: Karuthan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chinna
keywords: Block; Bloqueio; Brachial plexus; Dextrose; Plexo braquial; Saline; Solução salina; Supraclavicular; Ultrasound; Ultrassom