A Comparative Study Of Preloading Efficacy Of Ringer’s Lactate V/S 6% Heta Starch Solutions In Preventing Hypotensionfollowing Spinal Anaesthesia

Hypotension during spinal anaesthesia is common and can cause significantmorbidity and mortality.Prior to spinal anaesthesia fluid administration isrecommended to reduce the incidence of hypotension and this is referred to aspreloading.Crystalloids and colloids are routinely tried as pre loading fluids but there is still considerable debate over their effectivenessas a pre loading.A comparative study was under taken to compare the hemodynamic changes of Ringers lactate v/s Hydroxy ethyl starch in 60 ASA grade-I &II patients posted for lower abdominal and lower limb elective surgeries and allocated into two groups.Each patient was administrated either Ringer's lactate solution at 10 ml/ Kg body or 6% Hydroxy ethyl starch at 10 ml/ Kg over a period of 20 minutes before spinal anaesthesia.Following spinal anaesthesia mean arterial pressure were recorded at regular intervals.We found that hydroxy ethyl starch is more effective than lactated Ringer's solution as a pre loading fluid in prevention of hypotension following spinal anesthesia.However, we also concluded that incidence of hypotension was only reduced but not completely eliminated in this study.