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Chloroprocaine for spinal anesthesia: a retrospective analysis.
1Department of Anesthesiology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
|February 4, 2011
Summary
Chloroprocaine (CP) spinal anesthesia significantly reduced discharge times for outpatient procedures compared to lidocaine. This study found CP to be a safe and effective option with no reported neurologic complications.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Chloroprocaine (CP) is being evaluated for outpatient spinal anesthesia.
- This study retrospectively reviews discharge characteristics and side effects of spinal CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare discharge characteristics and side effects of spinal chloroprocaine versus lidocaine in ambulatory surgery patients.
- To assess the safety and efficacy of chloroprocaine for outpatient spinal anesthesia.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart analysis of 601 patients receiving spinal anesthesia for ambulatory procedures over 20 months.
- Data collected included spinal drug used, block characteristics, side effects, and discharge metrics.
- Comparison between chloroprocaine and lidocaine groups.
Main Results:
- Chloroprocaine was the most frequent spinal anesthetic (84% of cases).
- Times to ambulation and discharge were significantly shorter with chloroprocaine (107±24 min and 171±45 min) compared to lidocaine (155±40 min and 224±57 min).
- Urinary retention incidence was similar; no transient neurologic symptoms were reported.
Conclusions:
- Spinal chloroprocaine (40 mg) significantly reduced time to discharge criteria compared to lidocaine (60 mg) in ambulatory patients.
- No perioperative neurologic injuries were reported with the use of chloroprocaine as a spinal anesthetic.
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