Dexmedetomidine with 0.5% lignocaine enhances postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing upper limb orthopedic surgeries under intravenous regional anesthesia

Background: Intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) is an effective technique to provide analgesia for upper limb surgeries of shorter duration. Various adjuvants are used with local anesthetics to prolong the duration of analgesia. This study was undertaken to establish the effect of dexmedetomidine with lignocaine for IVRA in upper limb orthopedic surgeries. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients aged 15 to 65 years of either sex belonging to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I and II undergoing upper limb orthopedic surgeries were enrolled. Group L (n = 30) received lignocaine 2%, 7.5 mL diluted to total volume of 30 mL using normal saline while Group LD (n = 30) received lignocaine 2%, 7.5 ml with dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg dilu ted to total volume of 30 mL using normal saline in IVRA. The onset of sensory and motor block, recovery of sensory and motor block, duration of analgesia, hemodynamics, and adverse effects were noted. Results: The mean onset time of sensory block was significantly faster in Group LD (3.50 ± 0.41 min) than Group L (6.67 ± 0.65 min); P 0.05. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine (1 μg/kg) in IVRA leads to faster onset of sensory and motor block, prolonged duration of analgesia with better hemodynamic stability and minimal side effects.