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BJA Advance Access published online on February 18, 2005
British Journal of Anaesthesia, doi:10.1093/bja/aei095
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© The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia 2005. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journal.permissions@oupjournals.org
Accepted January 10, 2005

Clinical Investigation

Vasoactive characteristics of bupivacaine and levobupivacaine with and without adjuvant epinephrine in peripheral human skin

D. J. Newton 1*, G. A. McLeod 2, F. Khan 1, and J. J. F. Belch 1

1 Vascular Diseases Research Unit, The Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
2 University Department of Anaesthesia, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
D. J. Newton, E-mail: d.j.newton{at}dundee.ac.uk


  Abstract

Background. Epinephrine is added to local anaesthetic preparations to prolong their action and reduce their systemic absorption. Bupivacaine and levobupivacaine cause vasodilatation at clinical doses, but lower doses appear to cause vasoconstriction. The aim of this study was to characterize fully the vasoactive effects of these anaesthetics, using an objective measure of blood flow, and to assess the influence of adding epinephrine.

Methods. Laser Doppler imaging was used to measure the forearm skin blood flow responses to intradermal injection of eight doses of bupivacaine and levobupivacaine in 10 healthy male volunteers. The doses tested ranged from 0.008% to 0.75%, and the five highest doses were administered both with and without adjuvant epinephrine 2.5 µg ml-1.

Results. The cumulative responses to the lower subclinical concentrations (0.008-0.0625%) of both anaesthetics were smaller than or similar to that produced by saline alone, indicating a net vasoconstrictive effect. Higher doses caused net vasodilatation, and the levobupivacaine responses were generally lower than the corresponding bupivacaine responses (P=0.022). Epinephrine 2.5 µg ml-1 significantly reduced the responses to clinical doses of both drugs (P<0.001), producing net vasoconstriction.

Conclusions. Bupivacaine and levobupivacaine have a biphasic vascular effect when injected intradermally, with subclinical doses causing net vasoconstriction. The addition of epinephrine 2.5 µg ml-1 decreases these responses markedly.

Keywords: anaesthetics local, bupivacaine; anaesthetics local, levobupivacaine; analgesic techniques, infiltration; sympathetic nervous system, epinephrine.
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