Evaluating effect of intravenous dexmedetomidine on hyperbaric bupivacaine spinal anesthesia

ABSTRACT

Background and Aims: Intravenous dexmedetomidine is being increasingly used in perioperative setting including as an adjunct to local anesthetic in various regional techniques with an intent to either improve the block quality, increase the duration of block or to provide sedation and patient comfort during the periblock period. Intravenous dexmedetomidine when used just before or after spinal anesthesia has many desirable effects such as adequate sedation and patient comfort, longer sensory-motor blockade, prolonged postoperative analgesia and reduced post-anesthesia shivering. We aimed to study the effect of intravenous dexmedetomidine on spinal anesthesia with hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine