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Indian Journal of Anesthesia and Analgesia

Volume  5, Issue 12, December 2018, Pages 2036-2040
 

Original Article

Effectiveness of Dexamethasone as an Adjuvant to Local Anesthetic Mixture in Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block

Karthikeyan C.1, Saravanan S.2

1,2Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Institute of Social Obstetrics & Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, Triplicane, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600005, India

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21088/ijaa.2349.8471.51218.11

Abstract

  Adjuvant drugs are used to prolong the analgesic effects of local anesthetics in regional nerve blocks. This study was done to show the efficacy of Dexamethasone as a potent adjuvant in Supraclavicular Brachial plexus block. 60 patients who underwent upper limb surgeries were chosen for supra clavicular brachial plexus block and randomly allocated to two equal groups,one to receive Dexamethasone and the other to receive normal saline along with Lignocaine Bupivacaine mixture. Time of onset and duration of motor and sensory blockade were noted. The quality of Anesthesia and occurrence of complications was also observed.The mean onset time of sensory blockade in group A is 19.30, and in group B is 16.43 minutes. (p<0.005). The mean onset time of motor blockade in group A is 15.13 minutes, in group B is 13.33 minutes (p<0.005). In group A the quality of Anesthesia is 3 for 26 patients, 2 for 4 patients and in group B it is 3 for 29 patients and 2 for 1 patient. Statistical analysis shows the p value is 0.161, which is not significant. The mean duration of motor blockade in group A is 207.67 minutes, in group B is 374.93 minutes (p<0.005). The mean duration of sensory blockade in group A is 318.77 minutes, in group B is 642.33 minutes (p<0.005). There were no complications reported. We conclude that addition of dexamethasone to local anesthetic mixture fastens the onset of action of motor and sensory blockade, and prolongs the duration of motor blockade and analgesia significantly. 


Keywords : Adjuvant; Dexamethasone; Local Anesthetic; Supra Clavicular Block.
Corresponding Author : Saravanan S., Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Institute of Social Obstetrics & Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, Triplicane, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600005