[Metaraminol does not prolong the duration of spinal anesthesia using glucose-free bupivacaine in the upper dermatomes].

The effects of metaraminol on the duration of plain bupivacaine spinal anaesthesia were investigated in a double-blind study of 80 elderly patients. Each patient received a basic solution of 0.5% plain bupivacaine to which was added either physiological saline, or 1 mg, 2 mg or 3 mg metaraminol. There were no significant differences between the four groups in the mean time from injection to recovery from analgesia in the two and four uppermost segments. However the addition of metaraminol increased the mean durations of analgesia at the L2 level and of the motor block. It is concluded that, in an attempt to prolong plain bupivacaine spinal anaesthesia in the uppermost segments, addition of metaraminol does not appear to be justified.