Comparison of ropivacaine 2 mg ml−1 and prilocaine 5 mg ml−1 for i.v. regional anaesthesia in outpatient surgery

Compared with prilocaine 5 mg ml−1, analgesia in IVRA with ropivacaine 2 mg ml−1 developed slightly more slowly, while motor block developed at a similar rate. After the release of the tourniquet, sensation recovered quickly and at a similar rate in the two groups, except for a slightly slower recovery after ropivacaine in the innervation area of the median nerve, but no surgically useful extended analgesia after the cuff deflation was observed. Despite a 60% lower milligram-dose, ropivacaine plasma concentrations were markedly higher than those of prilocaine.