Locoregional Anesthesia in a Resource-Limited Country: Can Lidocaine 1.5% with Adrenaline Be an Alternative to Ropivacaine 0.5% for Ultrasound-Guided Axillary Blocks?

Background: The ultrasound-guided axillary block is a block commonly used in upper limb surgery. Several local anaesthetics can be used to obtain an effective block. These include ropivacaine 0.5% and lidocaine 1.5% with adrenaline. Objective: To evaluate lidocaine 1.5% with adrenaline as an alternative to ropivacaine 0.5% for ultrasound-guided axillary blocks. Methodology: This was a 6-month prospective and randomized study (July 15, 2019 to January 15, 2020) conducted in the Department of Anesthesia at Ignace Deen National Hospital in Conakry, Guinea. Results: A total of 38 patients were enrolled: 19 in each group. The mean age was 45.8 ± 16.9 years in the lidocaine with adrenaline group compared to 43.9 ± 20 years in the ropivacaine group. The mean onset time in the lidocaine group was 6.8 ± 2.1 minutes compared to 8.3 ± 2.4 minutes in the ropivacaine group (p = 0.04). The mean duration of axillary block was 233.3 ± 57.5 minutes in the lidocaine group versus 260.4 ± 74 minutes in the ropivacaine group (p = 0.21). The performance was identical in both groups with 89.5% of the effective blocks in the lidocaine group and in the ropivacaine group (p = 1). The cost of consumables for the ropivacaine group was 60 euros compared to 15 euros for the lidocaine group. Conclusion: Lidocaine 1.5% with adrenaline is a good alternative to ropivacaine 0.5% for ultrasound-guided axillary blocks in resource-limited countries.