The clinical effects of spinally (subarachnoid) administered, preservative-free fentanyl were assessed in 120 healthy women who underwent cesarean section with spinal anesthesia using 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine. Subjects were divided at random into four groups (n = 30) the first of which received 2 mL of saline containing no fentanyl (group 0); the second, 0.25 micrograms/kg (group 25); the third, 0.5 micrograms/kg (group 50); and the fourth, 0.75 micrograms/kg (group 75) of fentanyl in a blinded manner. Surgical anesthesia was excellent in 100% of treated patients and in 87% of group 0. Respiratory rate decreased significantly in groups 50 and 75 and was recorded as early as 4 min after the administration of the drug. Nevertheless, respiratory depression did not develop in any patient, and 40 min later all groups had a similar respiratory rate. Regression of anesthesia to the T-12 dermatome took a longer time as the dose of fentanyl increased, but all patients had recovered by 240 min after the injection. Effective postoperative analgesia lasted longer and significantly increased with the dose of fentanyl administered: group 0, 197 +/- 77 min; group 25, 305 +/- 89 min; group 50, 640 +/- 142 min; and group 75, 787 +/- 161 min (data expressed as mean +/- SD; P less than 0.001 between groups). Neonatal status was the same in all groups. Sedation and pruritus were the main side effects. The combination of bupivacaine and a low dose of fentanyl (0.25 micrograms/kg) provides excellent surgical anesthesia with short-lasting postoperative analgesia and very few negative side effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Rev Bras AnestesiolARTIGO CIENTÍFICO 2008; 58: 6: 561-568 SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE RESUMO Belzarena SD -Estudo Comparativo entre Anestesia Peridural Torácica e Anestesia Geral em Mastectomia Oncológica. JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS:A anestesia peridural torácica é utilizada com freqüência para procedimentos estéticos da mama e há poucos relatos de seu emprego para mastectomias com exploração axilar. O presente estudo comparou a técnica com anestesia geral em operações oncológicas da mama. MÉTODO: CONCLUSÕES:A técnica peridural tem algumas vantagens com relação à anestesia geral e pode ser considerada uma opção para anestesia em mastectomias oncológicas com esvaziamento axilar.Unitermos: ANESTESIA: Regional, peridural; CIRURGIA: Oncológica, mastectomia. SUMMARY Belzarena SD -Comparative Study between Thoracic EpiduralBlock and General Anesthesia for Oncologic Mastectomy. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Thoracic epidural block is frequently used for esthetic breast surgeries but reports of its use in mastectomies with axillary exploration are very rare. The present study compared this technique with general anesthesia in oncologic surgeries of the breasts. METHODS:Forty patients were divided in two groups. The epidural group (n = 20) underwent epidural thoracic block with bupivacaine and fentanyl associated with sedation with midazolam. The other group (n = 20) underwent conventional general anesthesia with propofol, atracurium, and fentanyl, and maintenance with O 2 and isoflurane. Duration of the surgery, the need for intraoperative complementation of anesthesia or sedation, and intraoperative hemodynamic parameters were recorded. In the postoperative period, length of time until discharge from the recovery room and from the hospital, severity of pain, analgesic consumption, adverse effects, and satisfaction with the anesthetic techniques were recorded. RESULTS:Both groups were similar and differences in the duration of the surgery were not observed. Complementary sedation was necessary in 100% of the patients who underwent epidural block and complementary sedation with infiltration of local anesthetic in the axilla in 15% of the patients in this group. The rate of hypertension was more frequent in the group of patients who underwent general anesthesia, while hypotension was more frequent in the epidural group. Pruritus was observed in 55% of the patients in the epidural group. Nausea (30%) and vomiting (45%) were more frequent in the general anesthesia group. The quality of postoperative analgesia was better in the epidural group, which also presented lower consumption of analgesics; the length hospitalization in this group was also lower. CONCLUSIONS:Epidural block has some advantages when compared with general anesthesia and can be considered an anesthesia option in oncologic mastectomies with axillary lymph node dissection.