Intrathecal fentanyl does not modify the duration of spinal procaine block

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Spinal anesthesia is a common procedure.
• Previous studies indicated a high failure rate with 10% procaine.
• The addition of adjuvants to spinal anesthetics is an area of ongoing research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical characteristics of spinal procaine.
• To determine the effect of adding fentanyl to spinal procaine.
• To assess the failure rate and side effects of spinal procaine with or without fentanyl.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, prospective, double-blind study was conducted.
• 52 patients received spinal anesthesia with 100 mg procaine.
• Patients were randomized to receive either saline (CONTROL) or 20 microg fentanyl (FENTANYL).
• Sensory and motor block characteristics were assessed.
• Patients were monitored for transient radicular irritation (TRI).

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in the onset, regression, or duration of sensory block.
• Motor block recovery (Bromage 4) showed no difference between groups.
• Nausea occurred in nine patients (5 CONTROL, 4 FENTANYL).
• Pruritus occurred in nine patients (3 CONTROL, 6 FENTANYL).
• No cases of transient radicular irritation (TRI) were reported.

Conclusions:

• Spinal procaine is suitable for short-duration surgical procedures.
• The addition of fentanyl does not modify the characteristics of spinal procaine anesthesia.
• Fentanyl does not alter the incidence of side effects associated with spinal procaine.