Effects of intravenous clonidine or dexmedetomidine on haemodynamic responses to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation and sedation: A randomised double-blind clinical efficacy study

Abstract

Background: Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation (LTI) is associated with undesirable haemodynamic (HD) responses. Both clonidine and dexmedetomidine have been tried to attenuate this HD response. The present study was to assess whether single pre-induction dose of intravenous clonidine (2 μg/Kg) or dexmedetomidine (1 μg/Kg) is more efficient to attenuate the HD response to LTI. Methods: Sixty patients belonging to American Society of Anesthesiologists Grade I and II were randomly divided into two groups: group C (clonidine 2 μg/Kg) and Group D (dexmedetomidine 1 μg/Kg). Study drug was given as an infusion over 10 Min before induction of anaesthesia followed by standardised anaesthetic technique. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were studied at baseline, before study drug infusion (BSD), after study drug infusion, before LTI and at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 m in after intubation. Sedation score was analysed BSD, after study drug infusion and at the end of surgery Results: This study revealed suppression of HR and BP at all time points in both the groups without any significant difference in suppression of HR between the groups. The magnitude of fall in BP in the clonidine group is more compared to the dexmedetomidine group before LTI and at 3, 5, and 10 min after tracheal intubation. The patients in the dexmedetomidine group were more sedated than in the clonidine group at the end of the study drug infusion. Conclusions: Both clonidine and dexmedetomidine were effective in attenuating HD response to LTI. Dexmedetomidine appears to be superior to clonidine in maintaining stable HD.