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To document the clinical characteristics of spinal procaine with or without the addition of fentanyl in light of the failure rate observed previously with procaine 10%.In a randomized, prospective, double-blind study, 52 patients received spinal anesthesia with 100 mg procaine and either saline 0.9% (0.4 ml) (CONTROL group) or 20 microg fentanyl (0.4 ml) (FENTANYL group). Sensory anesthesia to needle prick was evaluated each minute for ten minutes, every three minutes for 33 minutes and every five minutes until regression to T10. Motor block was assessed with the Bromage scale. Patients were questioned by telephone for pain suggesting transient radicular irritation (TRI) 48 hr later.Mean time to reach highest sensory level, maximum number of segments blocked and mean time for regression of the sensory level to T10 showed no difference. Time to recuperate to full flexion of knees and feet (Bromage 4) showed no difference. Nine patients had nausea (five in CONTROL group and four in FENTANYL group) and nine had pruritus (three in CONTROL group and six in FENTANYL group). No patient reported pain suggesting TRI.Spinal procaine is appropriate for short-duration surgery. Fentanyl does not change the characteristics of the block or the incidence of side effects associated with spinal procaine.

To compare spinal procaine to spinal lidocaine with regard to their main clinical characteristics and incidence of transient radicular irritation (TRI).In this randomized, double-blind, prospective study, patients (two groups, n=30 each) received either 100 mg of lidocaine 5% in 7.5% glucose (Group L) or 100 mg of procaine 10% diluted with 1 ml cerebrospinal fluid (Group P). After spinal anesthesia, segmental level of sensory block was assessed by pinprick. Blood pressure and the height of the block were noted each minute for the first ten minutes, then every three minutes for the next 35 min and finally every five minutes until regression of the block to L4. Motor blockade was evaluated using the Bromage scale. To evaluate the presence of TRI, each patient was questioned 48 hr after surgery.Time to highest sensory level and to maximum number of segments blocked showed no difference between groups. Mean time for sensory regression to T10 and for regression of the motor block were shorter in Group P. Eighty minutes following injection, sensory levels were lower in Group P. Five patients had inadequate surgical anesthesia in Group P and only one in Group L. No patient in Group P had TRI (95% CI 10-12%) while eight (27%) in Group L did (95% CI 12-46%).Procaine 10% was associated with a clinical failure rate of 14.2%. This characteristic must be balanced against an absence of TRI, which occurs more frequently with the use of lidocaine 5%.