ABSTRACT
Background: Caudal analgesia with bupivacaine and several adjuvants is a very popular in pediatric anesthesia for providing intra- and post-operative analgesia. Methods: This randomized comparative prospective study of total 60 patients of either sex, of ASA Grade I or Grade II, aged between 01 and 12 years, undergoing elective lower abdominal or perineal surgeries were enrolled after written and informed consent. 60 patients undergoing general anesthesia with laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation followed by caudal anesthesia for post-operative pain relief were randomly allocated into two groups of 30 patients each, Group B received caudal analgesia with 0.25% plain bupivacaine 0.75 ml/kg and Group C received caudal analgesia with 0.25% bupivacaine 0.75 ml/kg with clonidine 1.5 μg/kg after induction of anesthesia but before starting surgery. Intraoperatively heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic BP (DBP) were monitored while in post-operative period we monitored following-objective pain score, sedation score, HR, SBP and DBP and any side effects like post-operative nausea and vomiting, respiratory depression in both the groups. The final results of the study were tabulated and analyzed for significance using standard statistical techniques (2 independent sample t-tests). Sedation score was analyzed by using Mann–Whitney test. Results: The objective pain score was significantly lower, and sedation score was significantly higher in bupivacaine with clonidine group. The HR, SBP, and DBP were significantly on the lower side with bupivacaine with clonidine group when compared to plain bupivacaine group, but bradycardia was not statistically significant. Hemodynamic stability and post-operative pain-free period in bupivacaine with clonidine group was more than plain bupivacaine group which was beneficial in surgeries like hypospadias repair. Conclusion: Single shot caudal epidural with the addition of clonidine to bupivacaine is efficient in prolonging the duration of analgesia of plain bupivacaine with minimal or no side effect.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Emergence agitation (EA) is frequently observed in children undergoing general anaesthesia. This study tested whether the addition of an intra-operative low-dose infusion of dexmedetomidine to fentanyl treatment reduced the incidence of emergence delirium following desflurane anesthesia in children undergoing strabismus surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 96 children (1-5 years old) undergoing strabismus surgery were enrolled. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with desflurane. After induction, fentanyl (1 microg/kg) was administered to all children. During surgery, patients were infused with 0.2 microg/(kg.h)-1 dexmedetomidine (Group FD, n=47) or normal saline (Group F, n=47). Postoperative objective pain score (OPS), Paediatric Agitation and Emergence Delirium (PAED) score, and EA score were documented every 10 minutes in the post-anaesthesia care unit. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in demographic characteristics and haemodynamic changes. The mean values of maximum EA, maximum PAED, and maximum OPS score were significantly lower in Group FD than in Group F at 0, 10, and 20 minutes after arrival at the post-anaesthesia care unit (p<0.001). The frequency of fentanyl rescue was lower in Group FD than in Group F (p<0.001). The incidence of severe EA was significantly lower in Group FD than in Group F (12.8% vs. 74.5%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Intra-operative low-dose infusion of dexmedetomidine in addition to fentanyl reduces EA following desflurane anaesthesia in children undergoing strabismus surgeries.