Use of pethidine as an intravenous regional anesthetic

Pethidine 100 mg in 30-40 ml saline was given in a group of patients by the conventional technique of intravenous regional anesthesia. Fourty percent of the patients did not feel any form of pain or discomfort, 26.7% experienced only vague sensations which did not call for additional drugs but 13.3% felt some form of pain or discomfort for which diazepam was given and was enough for surgery to be completed. In the rest of the patients (20%) there was intolerable pain for which patients were given general anesthesia. This last category was operated upon for recent fractures or digital conditions and it is known that intravenous regional anesthesia using conventional local anesthetics for such patients usually fails. In a control group in which 30-40 ml saline without pethidine were injected, there was complete failure of the technique.