HAEMODYNAMIC CHANGES IN ELDERLY PATIENTS AFTER SPINAL ANAESTHESIA ? HYPERBARIC BUPIVACAINE VS ISOBARIC BUPIVACAINE

Haemodynamic changes were compared in two groups of elderly patients after spinal anaesthesia. Control group received hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% and study group received isobaric bupivacaine 0.25%. Systolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure and heart rate were compared. The difference in drop in blood pressure between both groups was found to be statistically not significant even though the mean fall in blood pressure was slightly less in the study group. The change in heart rate was similar in the control group and the study group. So hyperbaric bupivacaine and isobaric bupivacaine caused similar haemodynamic changes in both the groups.