We compared intrathecal ropivacaine to bupivacaine in patients scheduled for transurethral resection of bladder or prostate. Doses of ropivacaine and bupivacaine were chosen according to a 3:2 ratio found to be equipotent in orthopedic surgery. One hundred patients were randomly assigned to blindly receive either 10 mg of isobaric bupivacaine (0.2%, n = 50) or 15 mg of isobaric ropivacaine (0.3%, n = 50) over 30 s through a 27-gauge Quincke needle at the L2-3 level in the sitting position. Onset and offset times for sensory and motor blockades and mean arterial blood pressure were recorded. Pain at surgical site requiring supplemental analgesics was recorded. Cephalad spread of sensory blocks was higher with bupivacaine (median level, cold T(4) and pinprick T(7)) than with ropivacaine (cold T(6) and pinprick T(9)) (P<0.001). Eight patients in Group Ropivacaine received IV alfentanil (P<0.01). Onset time (mean +/- SD) to T(10) anesthesia and offset time at L2 were not different (bupivacaine = 13 +/-8 min, 127+/-41 min; ropivacaine = 11+/-7 min, 105+/-29 min). Complete motor blockade occurred in 43 patients with bupivacaine and in 41 patients with ropivacaine (not significant). Total duration of motor blockade was not different. No difference in hemodynamic effects was detected between groups. No patient reported back pain. We conclude that 15 mg of intrathecal ropivacaine provided similar motor and hemodynamic effects but less potent anesthesia than 10 mg of bupivacaine for endoscopic urological surgery.

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ANH involving the removal of 2 to 3 units (450 mL each) may be useful in patients with anticipated blood loss exceeding 50 percent of estimated blood volume, high initial hematocrit, and a capacity to tolerate dilution-induced anemia.

Both epidural and intravenous clonidine are used to provide postoperative analgesia, but in predetermined doses. This double-blind randomized study was designed to 1) determine the clonidine dose inducing pain relief after major orthopedic surgery, when controlled by patient, either intravenously or epidurally; and 2) assess whether these two administration routes are clinically equivalent. At the first complaint of pain after scoliosis correction, patients received an initial dose of 8 micrograms/kg clonidine during 30 min either intravenously (n = 12) or epidurally (n = 12). Then, clonidine was given using a patient-controlled analgesia pump via the corresponding administration route. In both cases, the bolus dose was set at 30 micrograms and the lockout interval at 15 min. Pain (0-100 scale), clonidine requirements, sedation (0-4 scale), and hemodynamics (by fiberoptic pulmonary artery catheter) were measured before and 15, 30, 120, 240, 360, 480, and 600 min after the loading dose was started. Plasma clonidine concentrations and arterial blood gases were determined at the 15th, 30th, 240th, and 480th min. Self-administered and total clonidine doses were larger in the intravenous group than in the epidural group (at 600 min: 372 +/- 110 vs 235 +/- 144 micrograms, and including the initial dose, 814 +/- 114 vs 652 +/- 187 micrograms; mean +/- SD). Clonidine administration resulted in pain relief and sedation in both groups but, for comparable pain relief, sedation scores were lower in the epidural group. No intergroup differences in hemodynamic data were observed, although the decrease in blood pressure occurred earlier in the intravenous group. Plasma clonidine concentrations were higher in the intravenous group than in the epidural group (2.5 +/- 0.6 vs 1.5 +/- 0.5 ng/mL after the initial dose and 2.1 +/- 0.5 vs 1.5 +/- 0.4 ng/mL during self-administration; mean +/- SD). We conclude that analgesia can be achieved postoperatively by both epidural and intravenous clonidine administration. The epidural route is associated with significant reductions in self-administered clonidine dose, and thus in the plasma clonidine concentration, and the level of sedation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)