[Effect of adding phenylephrine on spinal anesthesia with tetracaine in elderly patients].

BACKGROUND: The effect of adding vasoconstrictors to local anesthetics for spinal anesthesia is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of phenylephrine on neural blockade and hemodynamic changes in spinal anesthesia in elderly patients. METHODS: Thirty patients, aged >65 years, undergoing transurethral surgery were allocated into two groups to receive spinal anesthesia using hyperbaric tetracaine 0.5% with or without phenylephrine 0.025%. The doses of tetracaine were determined in proportion to the height of the patients. The level of sensory block and blood pressure were recorded every 5 and 1 min for 15 minutes after intrathecal injection. RESULTS: There was no significant difference regarding the time of onset of anesthesia, maximum level of blocks and blood pressures between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of phenylephrine to hyperbaric tetracaine in spinal anesthesia did not affect the extent of sensory blocks and hemodynamic changes in elderly patients.