Background: Brachial Plexus block is the easiest and simplest form of providing anesthesia for upper
limb surgeries. It is known that potassium added to local anesthetics can increase the extracellular
concentration, time of depolarization and prolongation of action of the local anesthetics. With this in
background, this study was designed to observe the effect of potassium chloride as adjuvant to local
anesthetics on onset of sensory and motor blockade and qualitative block for analgesia.
Materials and Methods: Forty patients of ASA I and II of either sex, aged 17 to 61 years posted for
upper limb orthopaedic surgeries received either plain Inj. Xylocaine 1.5% (A1), Inj. Xylocaine 1.5%
with Inj. Potassium Chloride 0.2 mmol (A2), plain Inj. Bupivacaine 0.375% (B1) or Inj. Bupivacaine
0.375% with Inj. Potassium Chloride 0.2 mmol (B2) in Brachial Plexus block through Supraclavicular
approach. Patients were assessed for the onset of sensory and motor blockade, duration of anaesthesia
and post-operative analgesia.
Result: Groups A2 and B2 (potassium added groups) had faster onset of sensory and motor
blockade, and prolonged duration of action than A1 and B1 (plain Xylocaine and Bupivacaine)
groups. The quality of blockade was better in groups with added potassium, more so with
Bupivacaine than with Xylocaine.
Conclusion: Addition of Potassium chloride to Xylocaine and Bupivacaine had significant clinical
advantage over Plain drugs specially Bupivacaine on onset time, duration and quality of sensory
and motor blockade in Brachial Plexus block.Keywords: Lignocaine; Bupivacaine; Potassium chloride; Brachial Plexus block.