A SIMILAR INCIDENCE OF TRANSIENT NEUROLOGIC SYMPTOMS AFTER SPINAL-ANESTHESIA WITH 2-PERCENT AND 5-PERCENT LIDOCAINE

Recent reports suggest that transient neurologic symptoms are common a fter spinal anesthesia with 5% Lidocaine. To determine whether reducin g the anesthetic concentration might decrease the incidence of symptom s, 50 ASA class I or II patients undergoing brief gynecologic procedur es under spinal anesthesia were randomly allocated to receive 1 mg/kg of either 5% or 2% lidocaine in 7.5% glucose. Patients were evaluated on the first postoperative day by an anesthesiologist who was unaware of the solution administered or the details of the anesthetic procedur e. Symptoms suggestive of transient radicular irritation were observed in 8 patients (32%) receiving 5% lidocaine, and in 10 patients (40%) receiving 2% lidocaine (NS). These results confirm our previous findin gs that transient neurologic symptoms may occur in up to one third of the patients receiving 5% lidocaine, and indicate that a modest reduct ion in Lidocaine concentration does not reduce risk.