DOES PRETREATMENT WITH CIMETIDINE AND RANITIDINE AFFECT THE DISPOSITION OF BUPIVACAINE ?

Thirty patients who chose extradural analgesia for electiveCaesarean section were pretreated, by random selection, withcimetidine 400 mg, ranitidine 150 mg or no H₂-blocker. Followingthe administration of 0.5% bupivacaine, no significant differencewas found between peak plasma bupivacaine concentrations orarea under the plasma bupivacaine concentration-time curve (AUC)in these three groups. This study shows that a single dose ofcimetidine or ranitidine does not affect significantly the dispositionof bupivacaine in the obstetric patient.