Effect of intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine with small dose clonidine versus hyperbaric bupivacaine alone in lower abdominal surgeries: A comparative study

CONTEXT: The continued success of regional anesthetic techniques can be credited due to improved local anesthetic drugs, with lower toxicities and longer duration of action, but still many efforts are being done to increase the duration of the block and postoperative analgesia. Therefore, use of adjuvant drugs for anesthesia is intended to prolong analgesia and preventing deleterious clinical effects of local anesthetics. AIMS: The present study is designed to evaluate effects of intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine versus hyperbaric bupivacaine with low dose clonidine on the onset and level of sensory and motor block, the intensity of motor blockade, and time of analgesia required in the postoperative period. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Study area were our operation theater and postanesthesia care unit of Department of Anesthesiology, this was a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind study for a period of 1 year comprising of 60 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were randomly allocated into two groups: Group 1 (S) (n = 30): Patients received intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine 12.5 mg with normal saline 0.5 ml and Group 2 (C) (n = 30): Patients received intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine 12.5 mg with 1 μg/kg clonidine (approximated to 0.5 ml with normal saline). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Two groups were compared by Student's t-test, Chi-square test; ANOVA and significance of mean difference bet were done by Newman–Keuls test. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Duration of analgesia was prolonged in Group C (363.07 ± 166.30 min) patients compared to Group S patients (226.95 ± 119 min) and they also required less top up analgesic in the postoperative period.