[Plexus anesthesia with a bupivacaine-mepivacaine mixture. Clinical results and blood level].

A mixture of 0.2% bupivacaine and 0.75% mepivacaine was employed for brachial plexus block in 20 patients scheduled for surgery of the forearm-hand-region. Volumes of 40-60 ml were given. The spread of motor and sensory block was monitored during 80 min. The first postoperative pain sensation was reported about seven hours after injection of the local anaesthetic. The results are compared to those obtained with 1% plain mepivacaine. The spread of the block was slightly slower after the mixture than after plain mepivacaine. Blood levels after the mixture showed a maximum 30 min after injection.