Harikrishna Dalai1, Sraban Kumar Dash2, Prativa Panda3, Ramesh Chandra Samantaray4
BACKGROUND
Adjuvants/adjuncts are the drugs, which when added to local anaesthetics tend to improve the quality of block and increase duration of analgesia. The purpose of this study was to compare two novel alpha-2 agonist clonidine and dexmedetomidine when added as adjuvant to 0.5% ropivacaine in infraclavicular vertical brachial plexus block in respect to onset, duration of sensory and motor block along with duration of analgesia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 60 patients confirming to inclusion criteria, undergoing elective upper limb surgeries under BPB in VIMSAR, Burla, were enrolled for the study over a period of one year. Sensory block was evaluated by Hollmen scale. Onset time of sensory block, time for complete sensory block and total duration of sensory block were recorded. Motor block was evaluated by using Bromage scale. Onset time of motor block, time for complete motor block and total duration of motor block were recorded. Level of sedation was assessed using the Ramsay sedation score. Postoperatively, sensory block and motor block and postoperative pain (by visual analogue scale) were assessed.
RESULTS
The sensory motor block was significantly rapid and the duration of analgesia was significantly prolonged in dexmedetomidine group as compared to clonidine group.
CONCLUSION
Addition of 1 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine as adjuvant to 0.5% ropivacaine for infraclavicular vertical brachial plexus block is better as compared to 1 μg/kg of clonidine.
