CLINICAL COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN INTRATHECAL DEXMEDETOMIDINE AND DEXAMETHASONE ON PROLONGING THE DURATION OF INTRATHECAL BLOCKADE IN LOWER LIMB ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

Abstract

Background: Spinal anesthesia is safer than general anesthesia during lower limb operations; many studies have been concerned about prolonging the duration of spinal anesthesia by adding different adjuvants. Objective: To compare the efficacy of intrathecal dexmedetomidine versus intrathecal dexamethasone in prolonging duration of spinal anesthesia, and postoperative analgesia, safety and hemodynamic stability. Patients and methods: Our study was carried out on 60 patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II, scheduled for orthopedic operation under spinal anesthesiadivided into A, B and C from March 2020 to November 2020. They were divided into 3 equal groups: Group A received 2ml bupivacaine (0.5%) and 10μg dexmedetomidine in 1ml normal saline intrathecal, Group B received 2ml bupivacaine (0.5%) and 4 mg dexamethasone in 1 ml normal saline intrathecal and Group Creceived 2ml bupivacaine (o.5%) and 1ml normal saline Intrathecal. The study was carried out at Al-Azhar University Hospitals (Al- Hussein and Sayed Galal Hospitals). Results: The present study showed statistically significant difference (P-value <0.001) between the three groups according to time of motor and sensory regression. The regression time of block (both sensory and motor) were prolonged in A (sensory 359.50±20.32, motor 319.00±21.06) and B (sensory 199.75±18.22, motor 170.00±20.00) when compared to the C group (sensory 149.55±10.83, motor 141.00±22.09). However, the duration was longest in A group among the three groups. According to amount of analgesic consumption postoperatively, there was significant decrease in amount in A group in comparison to B and C groups. The amount is insignificantly decreased in B group in comparison to C group. Regarding safety and hemodynamic stability there was no statistically significant difference between the three groups. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine had prolonging the duration of spinal anesthesia more than dexamethasone and control group with statistically significant difference between the three groups and provided prolonged postoperative analgesia compared to dexamethasone and control group.