A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN 0.5% BUPIVACAINE AND 0.5% ROPIVACAINE IN SUPRACLAVICULAR BRACHIAL PLEXUS BLOCK

Dr. Kirti Kundalwal*, Dr. Anandkumar Pande and Dr. Nanasaheb Bhangare

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Brachial plexus blocks are among the most commonly performed peripheral neural blocks for upper extremity surgeries in clinical practice. This study compared the effectiveness of 0.5% Bupivacaine and 0.5% Ropivacaine for brachial plexus block. Methods: For this prospective randomized double blind study we enrolled, after approval by institutional ethical committee and informed consent from patients, total 100 patients scheduled for upper limb surgeries under supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group B received 30 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine while Group R received 30ml o.5% ropivacaine. Onset and duration of sensory and motor blockade, Intraoperative opioid requirement and adverse effects were noted. Result: The onset time of sensory block in group B was 840 ± 21.95 seconds while it was 780.6 ± 21.45 seconds in group R. Duration of sensory action in group B was 572.94 ± 7.29 min and in group R it was 563.22 ± 7.16 min. In case of motor action, onset was 1228.8 ± 30.34seconds in group B while it was 1245.6 ± 23.41seconds in group R while motor duration time was 529.56 ± 5.80 min and 427.12 ± 8.79 min in group B and group R respectively. Most of the patients in group R had good to excellent satisfaction as compared to bupivacaine. Conclusion: We can conclude that ropivacaine is better choice of local anaesthetic compared to bupivacaine, in equal dose and concentration, in terms of better analgesia and subsequently patient satisfaction when used for supraclavicular brachial plexus block.

Keywords: Bupivacaine, Ropivacaine, Supraclavicular brachial plexus block.