European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Local anaesthetic bases are poorly soluble in water, but they are soluble in relatively hydrophobic organic solvents. Therefore as a matter of convenience most of these drugs are marketed as the hydrochloric salts. The pKa of the drugs and the tissue pH determine the amount of drugs that exist in the solution as free base or as positively charged cation when injected into living tissue. The study was undertaken after obtaining ethical committee clearance as well as informed consent from all the patients. One hundred and twenty six patients in the age group between 20 years and 60 years of either sex belonging to ASA I and II posted for elective lower abdominal surgeries were grouped randomly into two groups (n=63). Randomization was done using the numbers generated by computer. The basal value of mean heart rate in Group 1 is 76.27±7.23 bpm and we observed a decrease in mean heart rate which is maximum of 18.32 bpm from basal value at 30th min. There is significant decrease in mean SBP in Group 1 in comparison to Group 2 at 5 to 80 minutes (p<0.05), with maximum fall at 30 min.