The minimum effective dose of local anesthetics for spinal anesthesia using Taylor's approach is not known. This study aims to determine the minimum effective dose of bupivacaine 0.5% using a biased coin design up-and-down sequential method. Patients will receive real-time ultrasound guided spinal anesthesia using Taylor's approach. The initial dose is chosen as 15 mg on the basis of clinical experience. Subsequently, if a patient has an inadequate block, the bupivacaine dose is increased by 2 mg in the next subject. If a patient has a successful block, the next subject is randomized to receive either a lower dose (with a decrement of 2 mg), with a probability of b = 0.11, or the same dose, with a probability of 1 - b = 0.89. Forty five successful blocks will be accomplished. MED90 will be calculated by isotonic regression.
This study aims to determine the minimum effective dose of bupivacaine 0.5% in 90% of patients undergoing lower limb surgery with ultrasound-guided spinal anesthesia using Taylor's approach. A biased coin design up-and-down sequential method is applied. The initial dose is 15 mg of bupivacaine 0.5%. After 45 successful spinal anesthesia, the ED90 of bupivacaine 0.5% will be calculated.