BACKGROUNDDexmedetomidine, an α2 agonist is an approved drug for sedation and co-analgesia, but may cause hypotension and bradycardia. Ketamine, which provides profound analgesia and dissociative anaesthesia when used with dexmedetomidine may counteract the adverse haemodynamic effects as both have opposing actions on the cardiovascular system apart from providing satisfactory sedation and analgesia during minor surgical procedures.

BACKGROUND AND AIMLaparoscopic procedures are conventionally done under general anaesthesia for avoiding patient discomforts and other problems related to pneumoperitoneum that occur during laparoscopy under spinal anaesthesia. Here a study was designed to look for the possibility of using intravenous dexmedetomidine infusion to overcome these problems in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynaecological procedures of short duration, i.e. 1 hour or less under spinal anaesthesia.

The study was carried out to evaluate propofol and ketamine CRI in dexmedetomidine and butorphanol pre-medicated dogs undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy. Animals were randomly divided into two Groups (A and B) comprising six animals in each. All the animals were administered glycopyrrolate @ 0.01 mg/kg IM. Fifteen minutes later dexmedetomidine 5µg/kg IV and butorphanol 0.1mg/kg IV and two minutes later induction and maintenance of anaesthesia was done with propofol in Group A and ketamine in Group B. The mean induction times (Sec) in Group A and B were recorded as 34.67 ± 2.12 and 36.67±1.63, respectively. The induction doses of propofol and ketamine were recorded as 0.68± 0.06 and 2.63±0.26 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery time were recorded as 10.25±0.44 and 14.83±1.26 min in Group A and B, respectively. The maintenance dose of propofol and ketamine for CRI were recorded as 0.24±0.01 and 0.013±0.60 mg/kg/min, respectively in Group A and B. Quality of anaesthesia was excellent in both the group and the clinical parameters remained with the physiological limit.