[Controlled study on intravenous regional anesthesia using high and low concentration prilocaine]

In a prospective randomised study, 20 out-patients in each group received 0.8%, 1.5% or 2% prilocaine (4 mg/kg body weight) as intravenous regional anaesthesia for operations in the carpal region. The latency time, quality of analgesia and recurrence of pain after the tourniquet release rose with increasing prilocaine concentration from 5.7 min on average at 0.8% to 15.6 min on average at 2%. The latency time was shortest with 2% prilocaine. The blood plasma levels using the highly concentrated prilocaine were significantly lower than with 0.8% prilocaine.