A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CLONIDINE AS ADJUVANT TO ROPIVACAINE AND ROPIVACAINE ALONE IN EPIDURAL ANESTHESIA FOR LOWER LIMB SURGERIES

Abstract

Introduction:Epidural anaesthesia is one of the most common regional anaesthetic techniques used for lower abdominal and lower limb surgeries. Due to similar analgesic properties, lesser motor blockade and decreased cardiotoxic tendency ropivacaine is increasingly used instead of bupivacaine now a days. Clonidine has been frequently used as an adjunct to local anesthetics because it improves the quality of anesthesia, reduces the dose requirement of the anesthetic agent and provides a more stable cardiovascular course. Aims And Objectives: 1. To evaluate effect of ropivacaine alone in epidural anaesthesia for lower limb surgeries. 2. To evaluate effect of clonidine as adjuvant to ropivacaine in epidural anaesthesia for lower limb surgeries. 3. To compare effect of ropivacaine alone and clonidine as adjuvant to ropivacaine in epidural anaesthesia for lower limb surgeries. Material And Method: The study was conducted in the department of Anaesthesiology, GGS Medical College, Faridkot, after approval by Hospital Ethical Committee. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient. The total of 90 patients were allocated into 2 groups of 45 patients each:1.Group R (n=45) - 19 ml of 0.75% ropivacaine + 1 ml of normal saline (20 ml) 2.Group RC (n=45)-19 ml of 0.75% ropivacaine + 75μg of clonidine diluted to 1 ml (20 ml). The onset time for sensory and motor block, the maximum level of sensory block , duration of analgesia and side effects were recorded. The demographic prole were comparable in terms Results: of age, sex, weight which was statistically nonsignicant in both the groups. Clonidine group (RC) had rapid onset of sensory and motor blockade (p=0.001) and prolonged duration analgesia (p=0.001). There was no statistically signicant difference in HR, SBP, DBP, MAP monitored at various intervals between the two groups. Conclusion: The use of Clonidine as an adjuvant to Ropivacaine for epidural anaesthesia produces early onset of sensory and motor blockage and prolonged the duration of analgesia as compared to ropivacaine alone, with minimal changes in haemodynamic parameters and adverse effects.