title: Comparison of intrathecal clonidine and fentanyl in hyperbaric bupivacaine for spinal anesthesia and postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing lower abdominal surgeries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are many adjuvant used along with bupivacaine for subarachnoid block, but fentanyl and clonidine are commonly used as adjuvant to intrathecal bupivacaine for prolonging both sensory and motor blockade as well as postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing lower abdominal surgeries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  There is a paucity of studies comparing the efficacy of fentanyl and clonidine as adjuvant to intrathecal bupivacaine for improving intraoperative effect and postoperative analgesia in lower abdominal surgeries instigated us compare the effect of these drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective, randomized study is conducted on 100 American Society of Anesthesiologists I or II patients between 18 and 65 years of age divided into two groups of 50 each. The patients were given 2.5 ml of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine with either 50 μg of clonidine (BC Group) or 25 μg of fentanyl (BF Group) intrathecally. The onset and duration of sensory and motor block, sedation score, hemodynamic parameters, total analgesia time, and potential side effects were recorded and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the groups were comparable in demographic data, onset and duration of sensory and motor blockade, hemodynamic parameters, but the duration of analgesia is significantly longer in clonidine group when compared with fentanyl group. Sedation score is more in clonidine group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Addition of clonidine to intrathecal bupivacaine offers longer duration of postoperative analgesia than fentanyl but with higher sedation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, PIMS Medical College, Jalandhar, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Baljit Singh
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Bajwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, PIMS Medical College, Jalandhar, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Arwinder Pal
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, PIMS Medical College, Jalandhar, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Angelina K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rekhi
keywords: Bupivacaine; clonidine; fentanyl; intrathecal; postoperative analgesia