Abstract
Abstract Background The use of epidural analgesia for the management of postoperative pain has evolved as a critical component of multimodal approach to achieve the goal of adequate analgesia with improved outcome. Epidural analgesia offers superior postoperative pain relief compared with systemic opioids. In addition to improved patient outcome. Objective To compare the effect of dexmedetomidine and fentanyl as an adjuvant to epidural levobupivacaine in knee replacement surgeries regarding duration of action and the analgesic potency of both drugs. Patients and Methods This prospective double blinded randomized clinical trial study was conducted in Maadi Military and Ain Shams University Hospitals after approval of the anesthesia department and the local ethics and research committee over 6 months and after obtaining a written informed consent. Sixty patients underwent knee replacement surgeries were included in the study their ages range between 21 and 60 years old and classified as ASA I and II. The patients were randomly divided using computer generated randomization into two groups 30 patients in each (n = 30). Results As regards sedation score intraoperative and postoperative, in the present study, we found that Ramsay sedation score was significantly higher in group ‘BD’ when compared to group ‘BF’ intraoperative and postoperative. This finding may be attributed to the sedative properties of dexmedetomidine that is far superior to fentanyl acting by dose-dependent decrease in activity of noradrenergic neurons in the brain stem via post-synaptic receptor-mediated inhibition. This increases gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurone activity, which mediates central sedative effects. Conclusion Epidural levobupivacaine with dexmedetomidine provided better sedation, adequate surgical anesthesia with prolonged postoperative analgesia for lower limb surgeries. Both adjuvants reduced the epidural dose of levobupivacaine and potentiated its efficacy.
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