Possibilities of improving the parameters of hyperthermia in regional isolated limb perfusion using epidural bupivacaine and accurate temperature measurement of the three layers of limb tissue

The present study presents the author's modification of the method, which aims to create proper parameters of the treatment. The selected group consisted of 15 women and eight men, with a mean age of 57.2 years (range from 26 to 72 years). The patients were divided into two groups, depending on whether they were given epidural bupivacaine (group I – 13 patients treated between the years 2001 and 2004) or not [group II (control) – 10 patients treated earlier, between the years 1997 and 2000]. We observed a significant change in the temperature of thigh muscles (P=0.009) and shank muscles (P=0.006). In the control group II, there was a statistically significant difference (P=0.048) in the temperatures between the muscles and subcutaneous tissue on the one hand and the shank skin on the other. That difference was mean 0.67°C (from 0.4 to 0.9) during the perfusion after applying the cytostatic. The temperature of the skin was lower than the temperature of the deeper tissues of the shank and did not exceed 39.9°C. Such a difference in the temperatures was not observed in case of the group I patients who were given bupivacaine into the extrameningeal space before applying the cytostatic. The difference in the temperatures was on average 0.26°C and was not statistically significant (P=0.99), whereas the shank skin temperature was 40.0–40.6°C. The attained results imply that despite the noticeable improvement in the heating of the limb muscles after application of bupivacaine, the improvement in the heating of the skin and subcutaneous tissue is still not satisfactory, although the growing tendency implies such a possibility.