Warm local anaesthetic--effect on latency of onset of axillary brachial plexus block.

A double-blind, controlled trial was conducted to determine whether warming local anaesthetic reduces the onset time of axillary brachial plexus block. Forty patients were randomised into two groups. The control group received local anaesthetic solution at room temperature (22 +/- 1 degrees C), while the experimental group received the solution at body temperature (37 +/- 1 degrees C). A solution of 40 ml of lignocaine 1.5% with adrenaline 1:200,000 was used for all patients. Warming the local anaesthetic was not demonstrated to reduce the latency of onset of blockade.