Chintala Kishan1, G. Ravi Kiran Kumar2, Inugurthy Sridhar3, Kiran Madhala4
BACKGROUND
Dexamethasone (DES) is a very potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic
glucocorticoid with very strong activity. The current study is randomised to
determine the onset time, duration, and analgesic potency of bupivacaine (BUC)
0.5 percent, relative to BUC 0.5 percent and DES 8 mg by supraclavicular approach
for brachial plexus block.
METHODS
In patients posted for upper limb surgery under a supraclavicular block, a
prospective, randomised, double-blinded study was conducted. 60 Class I
and II American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) patients were
randomly divided into two classes. Group A received 0.5 percent of 30 ml
BUS and group B received 0.5 percent of 28 ml BUS and 8 mg of 2 ml DES
combined. For a single shot blockade of the supraclavicular brachial
plexus, 30 ml of a solution was required.
RESULTS
The mean age of patients who received BUS was 36.9 ± 10.4 years and
those who received BUS + DES was 34.7 ± 7.1 years (P = 0.328), there
was no statistically significant difference between the mean ages of two
groups (P > 0.05). The mean time of onset of sensory block in the BUS
group was 8.6 ± 1.2 minutes and 5.6 ± 0.7 minutes in the BUS + DES
group. There was a statistically significant difference between the onset
of motor block in minutes among BUS and BUS + DES groups, there was
a statistically significant difference between the mean ages of the two
groups (P < 0.001). There was no statistically meaningful difference
between the BUS and BUS + DES classes at various time intervals in the
mean heart rate, difference in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood
pressure, and oxygen saturation.
CONCLUSIONS
The start of sensory and motor blockade also prolongs the length of DES
8 mg to BUS 0.5 percent speeds, thereby supplying improved analgesia
and reducing the rescue analgesic requirements.
