Four local anaesthetic solutions (2% carbonated lignocaine with or without adrenaline and 0.5% bupivacaine HCl with or without adrenaline) were used randomly for 335 continuous lumbar extradural blocks in labour. Carbonated lignocaine caused a more rapid onset of analgesia than bupivacaine HCl. The addition of adrenaline made little difference to the onset times, prolonged markedly the duration...

Ebstein's anomaly is a rare congenital malformation of the tricuspid valve, often associated with an atrial septal defect. Death occurs usually from cardiac arrhythmias. The successful use of a two-catheter technique for elective Caesarean section with extradural analgesia is described and the hazards associated with Ebstein's anomaly in pregnancy and anaesthesia are discussed.

We report the negative response of MHS swine to i.v. infusion of lignocaine and bupivacaine yielding plasma concentrations which equal or exceed those reported in humans during extradural analgesia. It is concluded that local anaesthetic techniques using the amide-linked local anaesthetics administered in conventional dosage are safe to use in patients known to be genetically susceptible to mal...