A comparative study of sedo-analgesic effect of dexmedetomidine and dexmedetomidine with ketamine in postoperative mechanically ventilated patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To compare the sedoanalgesic effects of dexmedetomidine alone or with combination of ketamine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After getting ethical approval and informed patient consent, 60 adult surgical patients, were randomly divided into two groups. Group KD (n = 30); received dexmedotomidine 0.5 μg/kg/h mixed with ketamine 0.5 μg/kg/h and Group DEX (n = 30); received dexmedotomidine at 0.5 mg/kg/h infusion only. In both the groups, study drugs were titrated (dexmedetomidine- 0.2-0.7 μg/kg/h and ketamine 0.2-0.7 mg/kg/h) to achieve target sedation. Hemodynamic variables, pain scores, sedation scores, and patient satisfaction were recorded. Qualitative and Quantitative data were analyzed with Pearson Chi-squared test and analysis of variance test, respectively. All analyses were done by using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. RESULTS: Pain scores were higher in group DEX than in group KD at 2 h and 4 h which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). At the end of 2 h, sedation scores were higher in group KD than in group DEX and was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Length of intensive care unit stay was almost comparable in both groups, and the time to tracheal extubation was lesser in ketamine-dexmedetomidine group as compared to the dexmedetomidine alone group. However the difference was statistically non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: By combining dexmedetomidine with ketamine we observed lower incidence of hypotension and bradycardia. Dexmedetomidine with ketamine combination therapy could be used safely and effectively as sedo-analgesic agent.