[Ropivacaine (naropin), local anesthetic of choice for epidural blockade]

The purpose of this study, carried out in 132 patients with intense acute radicular pain, was search for an optimal local anesthetic to be used in combination with a steroid for therapeutic epidural blockade. Comparative analysis of analgesia attained by epidural injections of 5 ml 2% lidocaine, 4 ml 0.5% bupivacaine, and 4 ml 1% ropivacaine showed the advantages of the latter drug in stable arrest of radicular pain immediately after injection. The duration of analgesia after blockade was 1.4 +/- 0.5, 3.1 +/- 0.3, and 9.5 +/- 1.2 h, respectively. Use of ropivacaine eliminated the main shortcoming of epidural blockade in the treatment of patients with radicular pain, consisting in temporary pain relapse after discontinuation of the local anesthetic effect before development of antiinflammatory effect of the steroid.