A Comparative Study of Dexmedetomidine and Clonidine as an Adjuvant to Intrathecal Bupivacaine in Lower Abdominal Surgeries

CONTEXT: Spinal block is the first choice for lower abdominal surgeries. Bupivacaine is the most common local anesthetic used but has a shorter duration of action. Many adjuvants have been used to improve the quality of analgesia till postoperative period. In this study, we used α(2)-agonists. AIMS: The aim of this study is to compare the effects of intrathecal dexmedetomidine and clonidine as adjuvants to hyperbaric bupivacaine with respect to onset and duration of sensory and motor blockade duration of analgesia and incidence of side effects. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a prospective randomized double-blind study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty patients of physical status American Society of Anesthesiologists Classes I and II were randomly divided into Groups B, C, and D each administered with bupivacaine with normal saline, clonidine, and dexmedetomidine, respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were entered into Microsoft excel data sheet. Analysis software used in this study was SPSS 22 version IBM. Categorical data were represented in the form of frequencies and proportions. Chi-square test was the test of significance. Continuous data were represented as mean and standard deviation. Independent t-test was used for mean difference between two groups. P < 0.05 was statistically significant. RESULTS: Mean sensory onset in Group B was 2.8 ± 0.7 min, in Group C was 1.4 ± 0.5 min, and in Group D was 1.2 ± 0.4 min. Mean sensory regression by two segments in Group B was 78.5 ± 9.9 min, in Group C was 136.7 ± 10.7 min, and in Group D was 136.4 ± 11.7 min. CONCLUSIONS: α(2)-agonists with hyperbaric bupivacaine intrathecally have a faster onset of both motor and sensory block. It also prolongs the duration of analgesia.