Subarachnoid anaesthesia for elective Caesarean section

Forty patients who underwent elective lower segment Caesarean section under subarachnoid anaesthesia received either 2.0 ml 0.5% cinchocaine in 6% dextrose or 2.5 ml 0.5% bupivacaine in 8% dextrose via a 26-gauge needle with the patient in the left lateral position. Onset time was rapid in both groups and the distribution of maximum ascent of sensory analgesia was T1-T6. Efficacy of analgesia was greater in the bupivacaine group, although the duration of both sensory and motor blockade was shorter than following cinchocaine. There were no significant differences between the two groups either in the incidence and severity of complications or in the condition of the neonates. The high incidence (50-65%) and often profound extent of hypotension seen throughout the trial, confirm the ineffectiveness of crystalloid preload of 1500 ml as a single prophylaxis against hypotension.