H. Kastrissios et al., PLASMA-CONCENTRATIONS OF BUPIVACAINE AFTER WOUND INFILTRATION OF AN 0.5-PERCENT SOLUTION AFTER INGUINAL HERNIORRHAPHY - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY, European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 44(6), 1993, pp. 555-557
After routine inguinal herniorrhaphy we gave 12 patients a wound infil
tration regimen of bolus doses of 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine via a cath
eter within the wound and rectally administered indomethacin (100 mg).
Peak venous plasma bupivacaine concentrations ranged from 0.07 mg.l-1
to 1.14 mg.l-1 (mean(SD) 0.47 (0.33) mg.l-1), and occurred at between
0.25 and 2 h after the first dose. Plasma concentrations were well be
low the toxic threshold of 4 mg.l-1 and there was no accumulation. The
regimen provided satisfactory analgesia. There were no wound infectio
ns nor signs of toxicity.