Pethidine (meperidine) is a unique member of the opioid family. In addition to its analgesic activity, it also has significant local anaesthetic activity. This property enables it to be used as the sole agent for spinal anaesthesia. We describe the successful use of intrathecal pethidine 1 mg/kg for an elective lower segment caesarean section in a patient presumed to be allergic to amide local anaesthetics. There were no significant adverse effects in either the mother or the newborn.
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