Transient Neurologic Symptoms Following Spinal Anesthesia with Bupivacaine and Ropivacaine

Transient neurologic syndrome (TNS) is a common self-limited complication of spinal anesthesia. Many local anesthetics can cause transient neurological syndrome, in which the incidence of lidocaine is relatively high. In addition, bupivacaine, levobupivacaine, articaine, and ropivacaine can also cause TNS. We conducted a consecutive retrospective cohort study to investigate the incidence of TNS and its associated factors in patients treated with bupivacaine and ropivacaine. We conducted a retrospective cohort study, reviewing the medical records of surgical patients who received bupivacaine and ropivacaine spinal anesthesia in Chengdu Shuangliu District First People’s Hospital in the past year to determine the incidence of TNS. For the first time, we used the TNS score table to quantify the occurrence of TNS. There were 24 cases (41.38%) of TNS in the bupivacaine group and 45 cases (33.33%) of TNS in the ropivacaine group. There was no significant difference in VAS and TNS scores between the two groups. It was found that the occurrence of TNS with bupivacaine was correlated with VAS score (Pearson correlation = 0.1813), while the occurrence of TNS with ropivacaine was correlated with sensory blockade (Pearson correlation = − 0.0642). The TNS scale can be used to evaluate the postoperative TNS of patients, and ropivacaine is used for spinal anesthesia with appropriate high anesthesia, which is less likely to lead to postoperative TNS.