A long-acting local anaesthetic often used as a nerve block, particularly during labour and in epidural anaesthesia and spinal anaesthesia. Side effects of bupivacaine are uncommon, but high doses may cause blood pressure to fall excessively.
A local anaesthetic, about four times as potent as LIDOCAINE. It has a slow onset of action (up to 30 minutes for full e?ect), but its e?ect lasts up to eight hours, making it particularly suitable for continuous epidural analgesia in labour (see PREGNANCY AND LABOUR). It is commonly used for spinal anaesthesia, particularly lumbar epidural blockade (see ANAESTHESIA). It is contraindicated in intravenous regional anaesthesia.
n. a potent local anaesthetic used for regional *nerve block, including *epidural anaesthesia during labour and to relieve postoperative pain. It is significantly longer acting than many other local anaesthetics.
1. n. an agent that reduces or abolishes sensation, affecting either the whole body (general anaesthetic) or a particular area or region (local anaesthetic). General anaesthetics, used for surgical procedures, depress activity of the central nervous system, producing loss of consciousness. *Anaesthesia is induced by intravenous anaesthetics, such as *thiopental, etomidate, or propofol, and maintained by inhalation anaesthetics (such as *sevoflurane). Local anaesthetics inhibit conduction of impulses in sensory nerves in the region where they are injected or applied; they include *tetracaine, *bupivacaine, and *lidocaine. 2. adj. reducing or abolishing sensation.... anaesthetic
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