European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: Epidural anaesthesia has several benefits over general anaesthesia like reduced stress after surgery, maximum postoperative analgesia and less respiratory depression. The neuraxial dexmedetomidine, by promoting analgesic effects can reduce the dosage of local anaesthetics requiredfor epiduralanaesthesia. Our present study was designed to compare dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to bupivacaine along with plain bupivacaine in lumber epiduralanaesthesia in lower limb orthopaedic surgery for perioperative analgesia and anaesthesia. Methods: Eightypatients were assigned into group B (Bupivacaine plain) and group D (Dexmedetomidine with bupivacaine). The efficacy in terms of onset and duration of anaesthesia and analgesia were assessed along with the sedation score, heart rate, blood pressure (mean arterial pressure) at regular intervals throughout the perioperative period. Data was collected and then analyzed with appropriate statistical tools. Result: In present study patients who received lumber epidural bupivacaine plain (0.5%)(Group B) experienced significantly late onset effective anaesthesia and less longer duration of sensory and motor block and analgesia in comparison to the patients received lumber epidural bupivacaine (0.5%) plus dexmedetomidine 1 µg/kg (Group D) as an adjuvant. The patients of dexmedetomidine group had significant sedation than the patients of plain bupivacaine group. Around 12.5% of total patients experienced shivering and very few noticed urinary retention.  Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine as adjuvant with 0.5% bupivacaine in epidural anaesthesia produced faster onset of sensory and motor block, excellent surgical anaesthesia and extended analgesia in postoperative period with increase in the duration of sensory and motor blockade. Dexmedetomidine can be a good adjuvant to bupivacaine for epidural blockade in lower limb orthopaedic surgeries.