Regional-Anaesthesie
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Regional-Anaesthesie · Nov 1990
[The blood level and a pharmacokinetic model of prilocaine during a continuous brachial plexus blockade].
Continuous brachial plexus blockade achieved by repeated injections through an axillary catheter is used increasingly often for microsurgical procedures and for postoperative pain relief. Repetitive administration, especially of long-acting agents, can cause problems with local anesthetic toxicity. Based upon a pharmacokinetic analysis of prilocaine serum concentrations after single-dose axillary plexus blockade in 14 patients, a pharmacokinetic model was established from which to predict serum concentrations after successive doses. ⋯ Methemoglobinemia resulting from metabolites of prilocaine did not lead to complications in our study. It may, however, be a problem with repetitive dosages. Further investigations concerning this question would be useful.