Adjuvants to local anaesthetics in regional anaesthesia – Should they be used? Part I: Pros

A variety of drugs such as opioids, alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, NMDA receptor antagonists, midazolam, adenosine and neostigmine have been used as adjuvants to local anaesthetics for improving quality and prolonging the effects of peripheral nerve blocks. In this article, literature has been reviewed to find the various drugs that have been used as additives to local anaesthetics while performing nerve blocks and the advantages gained in terms of prolongation of anaesthetic or analgesic effects.