Caracterización de la anestesia subaracnoidea con levobupivacaina en pacientes de cirugía abdominal baja y miembro inferior. Hospitales José Carrasco Arteaga y Vicente Corral Moscoso. Cuenca – Ecuador, 2020-2021.

Abstract

Background: levobupivacaine is an anesthetic that reversibly blocks nerve conduction; it has less cardiotoxicity and allows a rapid recovery of motility after subarachnoid application. Objective: to characterize subarachnoid anesthesia with levobupivacaine in patients with lower abdominal and lower limb surgery at the Vicente Corral Moscoso and José Carrasco Arteaga hospitals in the city of Cuenca. Methodology: observational, descriptive study. 276 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included; the sample was calculated based on an infinite universe with a confidence interval of 95%, an error of 5% and a proportion of 22%. The anesthesiologist monitored the latency time, duration, level of block, and side effects of levobupivacaine. The information was processed in the SPSS program version 15. For qualitative variables, frequencies and percentages were applied, for the quantitative mean and standard deviation. The results were presented in tables. Results: most of patients were men between 30 and 39 years old with overweight and ASA II, admitted by emergency. The mean sensitive latency time was 5.89 minutes and the motor 12.69 minutes. A duration of the sensitive block was observed> 200 minutes, that of the motor ranged between 81 to 160 minutes. Most of participants reached a sensitive level T6. 1 in 10 patients had collateral effects. Conclusions: levobupivacaine produces a prolonged sensory block, with a shorter duration of motor block. Hypotension is the most common side effect.