RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Reversal of Prilocaine Epidural Anesthesia Using Epidural Saline or Ringer's Lactate Washout JF Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine JO Reg Anesth Pain Med FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP 389 OP 392 DO 10.1016/j.rapm.2007.06.004 VO 32 IS 5 A1 Katircioglu, Kaan A1 Ozkalkanli, Murat Yasar A1 Kalfaoglu, Hamit A1 Sannav, Sevinc A1 Ozgurbuz, Ugur A1 Savaci, Serdar YR 2007 UL http://rapm.bmj.com/content/32/5/389.abstract AB Background and Objectives: Several investigators have described the phenomena of epidural saline washout using bolus injections. This study was designed to determine whether epidural block could be reversed more effectively by infusion of crystalloid solutions via the epidural catheter.Methods: One hundred male patients scheduled for outpatient surgery were enrolled in this study. After 30 min of 2% prilocaine epidural anesthesia, patients were randomly assigned to receive 45 mL of study solution as follows: (1) normal saline bolus (group NSB); (2) Ringer's lactate bolus (group RLB); (3) normal saline infusion (group NSI); (4) Ringer's lactate infusion (group RLI). Patients in the control group received no washout fluid. Motor, sensory blockade and side effects were compared among 5 groups. Ambulation time is defined as the recovery time.Results: In the control group, ambulation time (139 ± 15 min) was significantly longer than in the washout groups (NSB 90 ± 10, RLB 88 ± 10, NSI 85 ± 8, RLI 91 ± 6 minutes) (P < .001). Two-segment sensory regression time in the control group (86 ± 15 min) was significantly longer than in groups NSB, RLB, NSI and RLI (55 ± 8, 51 ± 4, 58 ± 8, and 53 ± 10 minutes, respectively) (P < .001).Conclusions: We concluded that a more rapid recovery of motor and sensory blockade in patients undergoing epidural anesthesia may be achieved by the use of an epidural washout with either bolus or infusion of 45 mL normal saline or Ringer's lactate.