[Follow-up of spinal analgesia with somatosensory evoked potentials and biotesiometry]

In order to estimate the possible neurotoxicity of spinal analgesia with bupivacaine (Marcain), a total of ten patients were examined neurologically prior to spinal analgesia and seven days afterwards with somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) and biotesiometry. The objective neurological examination results and SEP were entirely unchanged. At control examination with biotesiometry, altered vibration sense bilaterally over the medial malleoli was found in one patient but not on the pulp of the great toe bilaterally. Alterations in vibration in this patient were within the intraindividual variation as described by Fagius & Wahren. The method of examination employed here has not previously been employed systematically for follow-up investigation or elucidation of neurological deficits following spinal analgesia.