title: Intrathecal dextmedetomidine to reduce shoulder tip pain in laparoscopic cholecystectomies under spinal anesthesia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  General anesthesia as a technique for laparoscopic cholecystectomies has disadvantage in terms of the stress response, lack of postoperative analgesia and emesis. Regional anesthesia offers advantages over general anesthesia in terms of cost, postoperative analgesia, intact respiratory control mechanism and early ambulation. Shoulder tip pain remains the main concerns that can be alleviated by adding various adjuvants to local anesthetics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of adding intrathecal dexmedetomidine to bupivacaine to decrease shoulder tip pain, onset and duration of sensory and motor block, hemodynamic changes and side effects if any.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally, 60 patients were divided into two groups of 30 each. Group A received 3 ml of bupivacaine heavy and group B received 5 µg of dexmedetomidine along with 3 ml of bupivacaine diluted to total volume of 3.5 ml in each group.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was done using Chi-square and Student's t-test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intrathecal dexmedetomidine provides stable hemodynamics, excellent sedation and analgesia and abolishes shoulder tip pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Patiala Surgical Centre, Patiala, India.
authors.forename: Tarundeep
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Government Medical College, Patiala, India.
authors.forename: Jaideep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Joginder Pal
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Attri
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Patiala Surgical Centre, Patiala, India.
authors.forename: Sukhpreet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Ranjana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khetarpal
keywords: Bupivacaine; dexmedetomidine; laparoscopic cholecystectomy; pneumoperitoneum; spinal anesthesia