Abstract :
Background: Various agents have been tried for spinal anesthesia including opioids as an adjuvant to bupivacaine. But due to complications or shorter duration of action of opioids, intrathecal clonidine as an adjuvant to bupivacaine has been found to be a promising candidate.
Objective: To evaluate effects of intrathecal clonidine as adjuvant to 0.5% bupivacaine (heavy) in lower abdominal surgeries
Materials and Methods: Comparative prospective study was carried out among 60 patients who underwent surgeries of the lower abdomen. Group 1 patients (N=30) were given bupivacaine and clonidine. Group 2 patients (N=30) were given bupivacaine and saline. Hemodynamic parameters at regular intervals, oxygen saturation, onset of analgesia, intensity of motor blockade, highest level of analgesia at 10 minutes, duration of sensory blockade, duration of analgesia and motor blockade were recorded.
Baseline parameters like age, height and weight were comparable in two groups (p > 0.05). Time of onset of analgesia and onset of motor blockade was significantly lower in clonidine group compared to saline group. Two segment regression; duration of motor blockade and duration of analgesia were significantly more in clonidine group compared to saline group (p < 0>0.05).
Conclusion: Thus, addition of clonidine in the dose of 75µg to 0.5% bupivacaine (heavy) in the dose of 3ml given intrathecally to patients undergoing surgeries of the lower abdomen was effective in prolonging the motor blockade duration as well as duration of analgesia, and also found to be associated with few complications
Keyword :
Effect, Clonidine, Bupivacaine, Surgery, Anesthesia, Technique