title: Effect of epidural clonidine on characteristics of spinal anaesthesia in patients undergoing gynaecological surgeries: A clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Combined spinal-epidural (CSE) anaesthesia is being increasingly used for effective post-operative analgesia. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of epidural clonidine on characteristics of spinal anaesthesia for gynaecological surgeries.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective randomised, double-blind, controlled study involving sixty patients belonging to American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status I and II who underwent gynaecological surgeries were randomly divided into clonidine (C) group and saline (S) group of thirty each. All patients received CSE anaesthesia. Ten minutes before subarachnoid block (SAB), Group C received clonidine 150 μg diluted to 5 ml in normal saline (NS) and Group S received NS epidurally. Hyperbaric bupivacaine (15 mg) was administered intrathecally for both groups after epidural injection. Sensory and motor block characteristics, analgesia, sedation and haemodynamics were observed. Statistical analysis was performed using appropriate tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epidural clonidine produced faster onset (37.83 ± 8.58 s in Group C compared to 50.33 ± 8.80 s in Group S, P = 0.001) and prolonged duration of sensory block (241.17±18.65 minutes in group C compared to 150.33±19.16 minutes in group S, P = 0.001). Time for two segment regression of sensory block was193.67 ± 19.82 min in Group C and 109.33 ± 18.56 min Group S (P < 0.001). The duration of analgesia was 299.00 ± 43.38 min in Group C and 152.50 ± 21.04 min in Group S (P < 0.001). Haemodynamics and sedation scores were comparable between two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of clonidine epidurally, 10 min before SAB, caused early onset and prolonged duration of motor blockade and analgesia, without any significant post-operative complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Rachna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Rs Raghavendra
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Ashwini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turai
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prabha
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shreyavathi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Karuna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harsoor
keywords: Adjuvant; clonidine; epidural analgesia; gynaecological surgery; spinal anaesthesia