Background: Different medicines are utilized in giving nerve block. The different drugs are usually discussed concerning efficacy and persistence of pain relief. The present study aimed to compare the use of lidocaine alone with granisetron/lidocaine combination in terms of the efficacy and persistence of the analgesic effect, in the axillary block used in patients requiring elbow or below elbow surgery.
Methods: A double-blind randomized clinical trial was performed on 90 patients who were candidates for elbow surgery. In this regard, an ultrasonography-guided axillary block was performed by a linear transducer using a short-axis in-plane technique. The first group was given lidocaine, whereas the second group received granisetron/lidocaine combination. First, five mg/kg of lidocaine %0.5 was diluted to 40 ccs with 0.9% saline. In the first group, 40ml of lidocaine solution was injected after dipping the syringe in epinephrine. In the second group, 2 mg of granisetron was injected simultaneous with lidocaine solution.
Results: In total, 90 patients entered the study and were divided into two equal groups of 45. The mean age of the patients was 34.48±9.0 years (18-58 years). 61 (67.8%) participants were male and 29 (32.2%) female. The onset time of sensory and motor block in the second group (granisetron/lidocaine combination) was significantly lower, compared to the lidocaine -alone group . Moreover, the continuity of sensory and motor block was significantly higher in the second group. Furthermore, the first analgesic requirement time was significantly lower in the granisetron/lidocaine combination group, compared to the lidocaine- alone group (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The concomitant use of granisetron with lidocaine improved all pain indicators and  also led to faster and more continuous sensory and motor blocks .