Utility of mepivacaine-fentanyl in the blockade of brachial plexus axillary via for postoperative analgesia

Abstract

Introduction: currently, more regional techniques are used for anesthesia in surgeries and for analgesia in postoperative pains of upper limbs. The use of adjuvants together with local anesthetics for the brachial plexus blockade by axillary way provides the adequate anesthesia-analgesia of the high limb for hand and forearm surgery.
Objective: to assess the utility of mepivacaine-fentanyl in the brachial plexus blockade by axillary way for postoperative anesthesia.
Materials and methods: an observational, analytic, longitudinal and prospective study was carried out in the Teaching Military Hospital ¨Dr. Mario Munoz Monroy¨ in the period from January 2014 to November 2016. The sample were 40 consecutive patients divided into two homogenous groups of 20 patients each. The quality and duration of postoperative analgesia were assessed through the pain visual analogue scale (EVA in Spanish) in the 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th postoperative hour; analgesia was considered satisfactory when EVA ≤3; moderated when from 4 to 6, and non-satisfactory ≥7. The media and standard deviation were determined for the descriptive statistical analysis; the T Student test was used.
Results: In the 2^nd hour, Group I, EVA ≤ 3: 20 patients (100 %), and Group II: 19 patients (95 %) p=0.5; in the 4^th hour, Group I, EVA ≤3: 20 patients (10 %) and Group II: 17 patients (85 %) p=1. Complications were 10 % in both groups. 
Conclusions: the application of mepivacaine-fentanyl for postoperative analgesia was useful, with quality and duration of postoperative analgesia and scarce complications.