AbstractAims: To Investigate the efficacy and safety profile of Fentanyl when added to Chloroprocaine for outpatient spinal anesthesia in terms of quality and duration of sensory and motor blockade and effective
analgesia.
Settings and Design: prospective, randomized, double-blind study Methods and Material: After institutional review board approval and informed written consent from patients,100 participants, aged 18 to
60 years, of ASA Physical status I, II, or III scheduled for lower limb ambulatory surgery under a subarachnoid block, were randomly divided into two groups (n = 50 each); Group C received 4.0ml (40 mg) 1% isobaric Chloroprocaine + 0.4ml Normal Saline (0.9%) and Group F received 4.0ml (40mg) 1% isobaric Chloroprocaine + 0.4ml Fentanyl (20μg). Degree of sensory and motor block, postoperative analgesia (VAS score), time of 1st rescue analgesia (effective analgesia), time of ambulation, voiding of spontaneous urine, hemodynamic variables, and side effects were evaluated and compared. At VAS ≥ 4, rescue analgesic Inj. Diclofenac Sodium I.V. was given.
Results: Participants in Group F had prolonged onset (3.91 ± 1.09 min), peak (7.54 ± 1.30 min), and duration (110.74 ± 9.78 min) of a sensory block than Group C (3.02 ± 0.97 min), (6.53 ± 1.34 min), (104.64 ±
10.83 min) respectively. Motor characteristics were comparable in both groups with onset, peak, and duration respectively in group C was (4.01 ± 1.42 min),(7.48 ± 1.89 min) and(79.6 ± 8.42 min) and in group F was (4.52 ± 0.83 min), (9.05 ± 0.52 min),(90.76 ± 5.59 min). Duration of analgesia was longer in Group F (148.36 ± 2.84 min) than in Group C (145.12 ± 2.78 min). Time of ambulation was earlier in group C (110.62 ± 5.25) than in group F (115.42 ± 5.8 9min). Voiding of spontaneous urine was earlier in group C (112.8 ± 4.69) than in group F (115.76 ± 5.92 min). The incidence of side effects was comparable in both groups.