title: Dexmedetomidine premedication of outpatients under IVRA.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dexmedetomidine is approximately 8 times more selective toward the alpha-2-adrenoceptors than clonidine. It induces analgesia in patients and decreases anesthetic requirements by up to 90%. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of dexmedetomidine premedication on tourniquet pain, intraoperative - postoperative analgesic requirements, sedation levels, quality of anesthesia, and the hemodynamic parameters when used as a single dose before intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four patients undergoing hand surgery (carpal tunnel and tendon release) were randomly divided into 2 groups for IVRA. IVRA was performed with 40 mL of 0.5 % lidocaine in both groups. A single dose of dexmedetomidine 0.5 microg/kg in 20 mL saline was administered to group D (n = 27) and placebo solution 20 mL to group C (n = 27) through the non-IVRA catheter 15 minutes before IVRA. Sensory and motor block onset and recovery time, hemodynamic variables, tourniquet pain, analgesic requirements according to verbal rating scale (VRS) and visual analog scale(VAS), sedation score, and anesthesia quality were recorded in the intraoperative and postoperative period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improved quality of anesthesia, reduced postoperative pain scores, and total analgesic requirements were found in group D during postoperative period. Additionally, the patients experienced a higher degree of sedation during intraoperative and postoperative period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The premedication of 0.5 microg/kg low dose dexmedetomidine before IVRA improves the quality of anesthesia and decreases the postoperative analgesic requirement of outpatients undergoing hand surgery without any serious side effects.
authors: Gaziantep University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, 27310 Sahinbey, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors: Ayse
authors: A
authors: Mizrak
authors: Rauf
authors: R
authors: Gul
authors: Suleyman
authors: S
authors: Ganidagli
authors: Gunhan
authors: G
authors: Karakurum
authors: Gulden
authors: G
authors: Keskinkilic
authors: Unsal
authors: U
authors: Oner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous; D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011292:Premedication
chemical_list: D020927:Dexmedetomidine