Comparison of Continuous Popliteal Nerve Blocks Using Lidocaine versus Bupivacaine Infusions for Ambulatory Foot Surgery: A Randomized, Double-blind, Noninferiority Trial
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Date
2023
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Abstract
Background and objectives: Continuous sciatic popliteal nerve block effectivelymanages pain after ankle and foot surgery. Most studies on continuous infusionof local anesthetics by perineural catheters have been made with bupivacaine,levobupivacaine, and ropivacaine, but lidocaine has not been used. The mainobjective of this study was to compare the quality of analgesia, motor function,and side effects between lidocaine and bupivacaine infusions in bilateralcontinuous popliteal nerve blocks for foot surgery.Methods: This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group,noninferiority study. We enrolled 70 patients undergoing bilateral foot or anklesurgery that could be performed under general anesthesia and continuous regionalanalgesia using sciatic popliteal nerve blocks. During their postoperative care, theywere randomized into 2 groups: group lidocaine (lidocaine 0.5%, 5 ml/h) or groupbupivacaine (bupivacaine 0.1%, 5 ml/h), administered through elastomeric pumps.The primary outcome was pain at 24 h after surgery, assessed by a verbal numericrating scale (ranging from 0 to 10). A pre-specified non-inferiority margin of 1.5 wasdefined. Secondary outcomes were the degree of motor and sensitive block, totalopioid use, and difficulties with pump or catheter management.Results: The mean postoperative pain at 24 h of surgery was 2.06 (95% bootstrapconfidence interval bCI 1.29, 2.83) and 1.82 (95% bCI 1.02, 2.62) in the lidocaineand bupivacaine group, respectively. The upper limit of the 95% bCI for the meandifference between lidocaine and bupivacaine was 0.82, declaring non-inferiority.No differences in the postoperative rescue analgesia use and satisfaction withcare were found. No differences in postoperative NRS, sensory block and motorblock were seen between groups.Conclusions: Lidocaine 0.5% and bupivacaine 0.1% provide similar postoperativeanalgesia through a sciatic popliteal catheter in ambulatory bilateral foot surgery patients.
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Keywords
Lidocaine, Ambulatory regional analgesia, Ultrasound guided regional block, Popliteal nerve block, Bupivacaine, Non-inferiority analysis