Abstract :
Background: Local anaesthetics have relatively short duration of action. Various adjuvants have been used to increase duration of block under subarachnoid block. The duration of surgical intervention varies from patient to patient and are associated with visceral manipulation causing somatic and visceral pain. Hence an attempt is made in this study to increase duration of block and also to cover postoperative analgesia by adding adjuvants to intrathecal bupivacaine. Alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists act on dorsal horn of spinal cord and in combination with local anaesthetics increase the duration of sensory and motor block following subarachnoid block and also intrathecal opioids are known to prolong duration of subarachnoid block. The present study was done to compare the effects of intrathecal dexmedetomidine and fentanyl on duration of sensory and motor block and time for first post-operative analgesia.
Methodology: Sixty patients of ASA I, II scheduled for lower abdominal surgeries under subarachnoid block were allocated to receive either 10mg bupivacaine plus 5mcg dexmedetomidine [Group D, n=30] or 10mg bupivacaine plus 25mcg fentanyl [Group F, n=30] by double blinded study after giving informed written consent. Level of block achieved, duration of sensory and motor block and time for first post operative analgesic was noted. Any >20% fall in BP was treated with ephedrine and heart rate
Keyword :
Dexmedetomidine, Fentanyl, Subarachnoid block, Analgesia