Studying the sedative effect of dexmedetomidine administered by two different routes, a randomized comparative trial

Abstract EN

Background Efforts to fi nd a better adjuvant in spinal anesthesia have been underway for a long time to achieve both effective analgesia and targeted sedation.

We evaluated whether we can use dexmedetomidine in spinal anesthesia through its multiple modes of action and reduced adverse events in comparison with its intravenous use to achieve desirable patient comfort and sedation.

Patients and methods A total of 100 patients classifi ed as American Society of Anesthesiologists class I and II scheduled for inguinal hernia repair were studied.

Patients were allocated randomly to receive either 15 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine plus 0.5 ml normal saline intrathecally and an intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg over 10 min (group V, n = 50) or 15 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine plus 5 μg of dexmedetomidine diluted in 0.5 ml normal saline intrathecally and an intravenous infusion of same volume normal saline over 10 min (group S, n = 50).

Results Patients in both groups were comparable in the characteristics of the spinal block and sedation score.

Conclusion Intrathecal dexmedetomidine can act both as an adjuvant to bupivacaine and as a sedative without the need for other intravenous sedation drugs