State of the art: regional anesthesia using anesthetic admixtures

Aging, high-risk, and ambulatory patients comprise a growing population of surgical candidates. The advantages of regional anesthesia for these patients has promoted technological and pharmacological advances. As new anesthetic agents are developed, methods to improve existing local anesthetics continue. This article reviews the current practice of local anesthetic admixtures. The physiological action of the local anesthetics and their additives is explained relative to their chemical properties. The advantages and risks when adding bicarbonate and epinephrine are described. Nursing implications for the care of the patient receiving regional anesthesia using admixtures are reviewed. An actual case report is presented to demonstrate the clinical application of local anesthetic admixtures.