Abstract :
Context: Alpha-2 agonists improve the block characteristics in regional anesthesia, when added to local anesthetics.
Aim: To evaluate and compare efficacy of dexmedetomidine and clonidine, as an intravenous adjuvant to intrathecal bupivacaine.
Settings and Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study.
Methods and Material: 75 patients of American Society of Anaesthesiologists status I or II, scheduled for orthopaedic lower limb surgery under spinal anaesthesia, were randomly allocated into three groups of 25 each. Patients in group D received dexmedetomidine 1?g/kg; group C received clonidine 2?g/kg and group PL received physiological saline, each premixed to 20 ml intravenously over 20 min, starting 20 min after the subarachnoid block with 15 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine. Duration of sensory and motor blockade, postoperative analgesia, sedation scores and side effects were recorded.
Statistical analysis used: Parametric testing done using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), intergroup comparison with post-hoc analysis Tukey’s test. Categorical data analyzed using Chi-square test. P< 0.05 was statistically significant.
Results: Duration of sensory block was significantly prolonged by dexmedetomidine (231.20 24.84 min) and clonidine (200 23.67 min) than placebo (171 12.25 min) (p
Keyword :
Clonidine, Dexmedetomidine, Spinal anesthesia.
Key Messages Alpha-2 agonists prove to be useful intravenous adjuncts to spinal anesthesia. They effectively prolong the duration or both sensory and motor block as well as postoperative analgesia, without a