WARM LOCAL-ANESTHETIC EFFECT ON LATENCY OF ONSET OF AXILLARY BRACHIAL-PLEXUS BLOCK

A double-blind, controlled trial was conducted to determine whether wa rming local anaesthetic reduces the onset time of axillary brachial pl exus block. Forty patients were randomised into two groups. The contro l group received local anaesthetic solution at room temperature (22 +/ - 1-degrees-C), while the experimental group received the solution at body temperature (37 +/- 1-degrees-C). A solution of 40 ml of lignocai ne 1.5 % with adrenaline 1:200,000 was used for all patients. Warming the local anaesthetic was not demonstrated to reduce the latency of on set of blockade.