TRANSIENT RADICULAR IRRITATION AFTER SPINAL-ANESTHESIA WITH HYPERBARIC 5-PERCENT LIGNOCAINE

We have studied prospectively 600 patients who had spinal anaesthesia for minor surgery, to evaluate the incidence of transient radicular ir ritation after the block. The anaesthetic agent (hyperbaric 5% lignoca ine, hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine or plain 0.5% bupivacaine) was chosen according to the anticipated duration of surgery. We obtained informa tion after operation from 537 patients (282 by telephone, 255 by lette r). Ten percent of patients anaesthetized with hyperbaric 5% lignocain e (27 patients) had transient bilateral radiating pain in the lower ex tremities, buttocks, or both. Typically the pain started within 24 h a fter spinal anaesthesia, lasted less than 2 days and was described as mild. Lignocaine was the only variable that correlated with this pain. Two patients complained of symptoms after hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine but these were atypical compared with pain after lignocaine. None of the patients anaesthetized with plain bupivacaine had similar complain ts. We conclude that the use of 5% hyperbaric lignocaine for spinal an aesthesia should be reconsidered.