Subarachnoid analgesia with hyperbaric 0.5 % bupivacaine: effect of a 60‐min period of sitting

A prospective randomised study of the effect when the patient remained sitting for 2 (Group-2) or 60 min (Group-60) before being put in the supine horizontal position, was evaluated in 12 patients, aged 39-67 years and given a spinal anesthesia with 4 ml 0.5% bupivacaine in 8% glucose (hyperbaric). The maximal cephalad spread of analgesia was obtained after 12.5 min (median) in Group-2 and 75 min in Group-60 (P less than 0.01). The spread of sensory analgesia went to T-6 (Group-2) and L3 (Group-60) after 60 min (P less than 0.01). After 90 min the spread went to T6.5 in Group-60, the difference being statistically significant (P less than 0.001). Given as median and range the maximum cephalad spread in Group-2 was T6(T3-T10) and in Group-60 T6.5 (T2-T10).