Regional-Anaesthesie
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Regional-Anaesthesie · Apr 1987
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial[Comparative study of 1% prilocaine and 1% mepivacaine in axillary plexus anesthesia].
In a randomized double-blind study, the latency period and spread of axillary brachial plexus block using 40 ml mepivacaine hydrochloride (1% solution), or prilocaine (1% solution) was studied in 60 patients scheduled for surgery of the hand and forearm regions. The sensory block of the axillary, musculocutaneus, radial, median, ulnar and medial brachial cutaneous nerves was recorded using the pin-prick test every 5 min after injection and the motor block was assessed by testing the power of the corresponding muscles up to 30 min after injection. The degree of intraoperative analgesia attained was also determined. ⋯ The methemoglobin level was always elevated following prilocaine, but not following mepivacaine. Two patients had an increase of the methemoglobin concentration to more than 11% after the administration of prilocaine. Neither the higher toxicity to the central nervous and cardiovascular systems from mepivacaine, nor the methemoglobin formed by prilocaine seems to be of clinical significance with the dosage and technique employed.