A comparison of carticaine and lidocaine in spinal anaesthesia.

The effects of Lidocaine and the new local anaesthetic carticaine in spinal anaesthesia were compared in a double blind study in 120 elderly male patients scheduled for small urological procedures. The variables investigated were: analgesia examined by pin prick method, loss of tactile sensation, motor block, and skin temperature on the big toe. Both local anaesthetics seem to act similarly, but the loss of tactile sensation and motor block began somewhat earlier with carticaine. The differences have hardly any clinical significance. The incidence of hypotension and postanaesthetic headache was similar in each group.