• Francis V Salinas and Spencer S Liu.
• Department of Anaesthesiology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, 1100 Ninth Avenue B2-AN, Seattle, WA 98111, USA.
• Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 2002 Jun 1; 16 (2): 195-210.

AbstractIntrathecal lidocaine remains a popular choice for ambulatory spinal anaesthesia due to its reliability, rapid onset and predictable rapid recovery profile. However, concerns with transient neurological symptoms (TNS) and their significant association with lidocaine have generated interest in alternative local anaesthetic agents to provide adequate spinal anaesthesia with the briefest possible recovery period. This chapter updates current data on drug dose-response relationships for local anaesthetics and the increasing use of intrathecal adjuncts to improve the anaesthetic and recovery profile for ambulatory spinal anaesthesia. Newer spinal anaesthetic techniques for common ambulatory procedures highlight the success of combining subclinical doses of local anaesthetics and intrathecal adjuncts. Controversies regarding the possible lower risk of TNS with newer spinal anaesthetic techniques and new discharge criteria are reviewed. The final section provides technical pearls to optimize ambulatory spinal anaesthetic outcomes.

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