Ropivacaine

Excerpt

Ropivacaine is FDA-approved for surgical anesthesia and acute pain management. It is used in an epidural block for surgery—such as cesarean sections. It is also used in major nerve blocks and local infiltration. In acute pain management, ropivacaine is used in epidurals (continuous infusion or intermittent bolus) for postoperative or labor pain control. More recently, ropivacaine’s use in chronic pain management has also been evaluated. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, methods of administration, important adverse effects, contraindications, toxicity, and monitoring, of ropivacaine, so providers can direct patient therapy in anesthesia where it is indicated, as part of the interprofessional team.