Evaluation of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to intratechal bupivacaine in opioids addicted patients,candidate for lower extremity surgery

Spinal anesthesia is one of the common methods for lower extremities surgery due to its ease of appliance. However, anesthesia duration is reduced in opium addicted patients. In recent years, different additives have been proposed to lengthen the anesthetic and analgesic duration of local anesthetics albeit each additive has its own side effects. In this study we assessed the effects of Dexmedetomidine on duration of spinal anesthesia in opium addicted patients who were candidates for lower extremities surgery.
Sixty opium addicted patients, candidate for lower extremities surgery, divided in two groups of 30 patients as case and control. In case group, spinal anesthesia was done using 15 mg of Bupivacaine and 5 µg of Dexmedetomidine and in control group with only 15 mg of Bupivacaine. The time of sensory and motor block induction, duration of blocks and duration of analgesia were recorded and compared.
sensory and motor blocks achieved earlier and lasted longer in case group than in control group. Analgesia lasted longer in case group as well.
Dexmedetomidine can increase anesthetic duration of Bupivacaine in spinal anesthesia in opium addicted patients.