The effects of dexmedetomidine on the bispectral index during cesarean section under general anesthesia with low-isoflurane anesthesia

Abstract

Background Intraoperative awareness is a disturbing experience for all women undergoing general anesthesia for cesarean section; this may lead to posttraumatic stress which can last for many years. The bispectral index (BIS) is now widely used to evaluate the sedative hypnotic effect of anesthetic drugs. The effects of dexmedetomidine used with low concentration isoflurane on the BIS are investigated. Patients and methods After ethical approval, 40 parturients undergoing cesarean section received either normal saline, as a control group ( n =20), or 0.3 μg/kg/h intravenous dexmedetomidine 20 min before induction ( n =20) with anesthesia maintained using isoflurane 0.5 minimum alveolar concentration in 100% O 2 , fentanyl 1 μg/kg is given after fetal expulsion. Change in BIS, hemodynamic, uterine tone, Apgar score, sedative score, and pain score were recorded for all patients. Results Patients who received dexmedetomidine showed lower BIS values ( P P P P P P Conclusion The administration of dexmedetomidine 0.3 μg/kg/h is effective in maintaining a lower BIS with low-isoflurane anesthesia without adverse maternal or neonatal effects.