Abstract:
Background: Intravenous regional anaesthesia (IVRA) is safe, technically simple but it has several disadvantages as limited duration, lack of postoperative analgesia, and tourniquet pain.
Aim of the study: This study was a prospective comparative randomized controlled clinical study that was carried on to evaluate the effect of addition of dexmedetomidine to lidocaine on the characters of the produced intravenous regional anaesthesia for below elbow surgeries.
Patients and methods: Fourty both sexes' patients, aged 18–50 years of ASA ps class I and II, undergoing hand and forearm surgeries were selected for this study. Patients were randomly divided into three equal groups: Lidocaine group (L group) received 10 ml of 2% lidocaine, Lidocaine/ Dexmedetomidine group (L/D group) received 10 ml of 2% lidocaine plus 0.5μg/kg dexmedetomidine. The volume of the lidocaine with or without adjuvant increased to 40ml by normal saline. After that, the characters of the produced regional anaesthesia were recorded.
Results: Dexmedetomidine enhanced the onsets of sensory but not motor blocks, decreased the mean of surgical pain scores, decreased the intraoperative fentanyl consumption, delayed the onset of tourniquet pain, prolonged postoperative analgesia with minimal side effects.
Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine, when used as adjuvant to lidocaine for IVRA, significantly improve the quality of the produced regional anaesthesia.