Sheetal Dalal*, Avinash A. Paul and N. G. Tirpude

ABSTRACT

Aim and Objectives: The present study was undertaken to examine efficacy of clonidine 1?g/kg for postoperative pain relief when added as adjunct to bupivacaine caudally in patient undergoing sub umbilical surgeries. Methods: In a randomized double blind study,60 patients of (age 2-8 years) ASA grade I and II were randomly allocated in two groups to receive 0.25% bupivacaine or 0.25% bupivacaine plus 1 ?g/kg clonidine via caudal route. For perineal surgeries volume of 0.25% bupivacaine was taken as 0.5ml/kg and for lower abdominal surgery 0.75ml/kg. Hemodynamic parameters were observed before, during and after the surgical procedure. Blocks were performed after induction of anaesthesia. Duration of post operative analgesia, time of first rescue analgesic, and total number of rescue analgesic doses, complications and sedation were recorded. Results: The group BC had early onset of sensory block as compared to group B.There was no statistically significant difference between both the groups, when both groups were comparable with respect to quality of sensory and motor blockade, (p > 0.05). The postoperative analgesia was significantly longer in group BC than group B with minimal postoperative side effects, (P <0.05). Group BC provides stable hemodynamic condition as compare to group B. Patients in group BC required less number of rescue analgesic doses during 12 hours of postoperative period than patients in group B, (P <0.05). Sedation score was either 2 or more in all the patients in both the groups, (P <0.05). Conclusion: Bupivacaine plus 1 ?g/kg clonidine is a safe and effective local anaesthetic agent which provides rapid onset of sensory block and prolonged postoperative analgesia following caudal block in paediatric patients undergoing sub umbilical surgeries