A comparative study of Comparing the Impact of Adding Clonidine to Bupivacaine and using Bupivacaine Alone for Axillary Brachial Plexus Block

Abstract

Background: Numbing a specific nerve or a group of nerves with a shot of medicine is an essential part of anaesthesia. Especially people who cannot bear general anaesthesia during a procedure or suffer from hemodynamic instability consider peripheral nerve blockade as a primary substitute. Clonidine is an antihypertensive drug (α₂ agonist) when used as an adjuvant to bupivacaine (a powerful local anaesthetic) may increase the time period of blocks. The aim of this study is to compare and evaluate the adjuvant effect of clonidine with bupivacaine and solo bupivacaine for “axillary brachial plexus block".

Materials and methods: It was a randomised, controlled, prospective study that was held in the Department of Anaesthesiology, Patna medical college, Patna. The study duration was 180 days. The participants were segregated into two groups with 30 persons per group. The participants in 1st group were given 0.8 ml (120μg) clonidine +0.2 ml normal saline +25 ml of Bupivacaine (0.5%). The participants in the 2nd group were given 1 ml of normal saline + 25 ml of Bupivacaine (0.5%).

Results: It was significant that the onset of nerve block and duration was longer in Group 1 patients than group 2 with p <0.001. This finding was statistically significant.

Conclusion: This study clearly shows that the effect of adjuvant clonidine fastens the onset of nerve blockade and also gives a longer duration of analgesic effect to the patients without producing any major side effects.