Dexamethasone added to mepivacaine prolongs the duration of analgesia after supraclavicular brachial plexus blockade.

Background And Objectives: Corticosteroids have been used successfully to prolong the duration of local anesthetic action after peripheral nerve and epidural blockade. We hypothesized that the addition of dexamethasone to mepivacaine would prolong the duration of analgesia after ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block for patients undergoing upper-limb surgery.

Methods: After Federal Health Department and institutional review board approval, 45 adult patients undergoing elective hand or forearm surgery under supraclavicular brachial plexus blockade were randomized to receive either 30 mL mepivacaine 1.

Spinal mepivacaine with fentanyl for outpatient knee arthroscopy surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The foremost limitation of local anesthetic solutions for spinal anesthesia in the outpatient setting is prolonged motor blockade and delayed ambulation. The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of intrathecal fentanyl to low-dose spinal mepivacaine provides adequate anesthesia with shorter duration of functional motor blockade for ambulatory knee surgery compared with spinal mepivacaine alone.

Methods: Following institutional review board approval and informed consent, 34 patients undergoing unilateral knee arthroscopy were enrolled in this study.