Acta Anaesthesiol &and 1991: 35: 170-174
Serum potassium levels after induction of epidural anaesthesia using mepivacaine with and without adrenaline A. LOFGRENand R. G . HAHN Department of Anaesthesiology, Huddinge Cnivcrsity Hospital, Huddingr, Swedrn
The short-trrm effect of epidural anaesthrsia (EDA) on the serum potassium (S-K) concentration was studied in 40 eldrrly men scheduled fir minor urological surgery. In Group I, EDA was induced with mepivacaine 2":,+adrcnaline 1:200,000 (n=20) and in Group I1 mepivacaine 2% was used (n=20). When EDA had been induccd, the mean plasma levcl of adrenaline was tripled in Group I, while it had decreased in Group 11. In Group I there was a dccrease in the arterial S-K concentration of up to 0.75 rnmol.1" with a mean of 0.31 m m o l . l ~ ' ,s.d. 0.20 ( P < O . O O l ) . In Group 11, a small but significant decrease of the S-K level was recorded in arterial (0.14 mmol.l-', s.d. 0.14; P
Serum potassium levels after induction of epidural anaesthesia using mepivacaine with and without adrenaline A. LOFGRENand R. G . HAHN Department of Anaesthesiology, Huddinge Cnivcrsity Hospital, Huddingr, Swedrn
The short-trrm effect of epidural anaesthrsia (EDA) on the serum potassium (S-K) concentration was studied in 40 eldrrly men scheduled fir minor urological surgery. In Group I, EDA was induced with mepivacaine 2":,+adrcnaline 1:200,000 (n=20) and in Group I1 mepivacaine 2% was used (n=20). When EDA had been induccd, the mean plasma levcl of adrenaline was tripled in Group I, while it had decreased in Group 11. In Group I there was a dccrease in the arterial S-K concentration of up to 0.75 rnmol.1" with a mean of 0.31 m m o l . l ~ ' ,s.d. 0.20 ( P < O . O O l ) . In Group 11, a small but significant decrease of the S-K level was recorded in arterial (0.14 mmol.l-', s.d. 0.14; P
