Introduction Various drugs are administered intraarticularly to provide postoperative analgesia after arthroscopic knee surgery, of which opioids and alpha 2 agonists could be of particular interest. Methods Sixty patients undergoing elective knee arthroscopy were randomly assigned to two groups (n=30). Group R received 19 ml of 0.25% ropivacaine and 1 ml of isotonic saline (total volume 20 ml) intraarticularly. Group RD received 100 μg (1 ml) of dexmedetomidine added to 19 ml of 0.25% ropivacaine intra-articularly (total volume 20 ml). Analgesic effect was evaluated by measuring pain intensity (VAS score) and duration of analgesia. Results A longer delay was observed between intraarticular injection of study medication and first requirement of supplementary analgesic in group RD (10.84±2.6 hours) compared to group R (5.38±1.4 hours). Total consumption of fentanyl citrate in postoperative period was significantly less in group RD. No significant side effects were noted. Conclusion Dexmedetomidine, added as adjunct to ropivacaine in patients undergoing arthroscopic knee Departments of 1 Pharmacology, 2 Anaesthesiology and

Background:Carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic surgery increases arterial pressures, heart rate, and systemic vascular resistance. In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study, we investigated the efficacy of gabapentin premedication to provide perioperative hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Materials and Methods:Sixty patients, of either sex (18–65 years of age) undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly allocated to two groups of 30 patients each. Patients of group G received oral gabapentin 900 mg 2 h before induction of anesthesia, while patients in group P received placebo at the same time.Results:Mean arterial pressure in patients of group G were significantly lower (P < 0.05) after tracheal intubation and pneumoperitoneum and remained lower, as compared to group P, throughout the pneumoperitoneum. Similarly, heart rate in group G was significantly lower (P < 0.05) after tracheal intubation and pneumoperitoneum and remained lower, in comparison to group P, throughout the peumoperitoneum. Intravenous labetalol was required, to control intraoperative hypertension, in 33.3% (10 out of 30) patients in group P. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse effects between the two groups.Conclusion:Gabapentin premedication provided perioperative hemodynamic stability during laparoscopic surgery.

Background:Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is a distressing complication of the subarachnoid block. The previous studies conducted, including the recent ones, do not conclusively prove that pencil-point spinal needles decrease the incidence of PDPH. In this study, we have tried to find out whether a pencil-point Whitacre needle is a better alternative than the classic cutting beveled, commonly used, Quincke spinal needle, in patients at risk of PDPH.Materials and Methods:Three hundred and twenty obstetric patients, 20-36 years of age, ASA I and II, posted for Cesarean section under subarachnoid block, were randomly assigned into two groups W and Q, where 25G Whitacre and 25G Quincke spinal needles were used, respectively. The primary objective of the study was to find out the difference in incidence of PDPH, if any, between the two groups, by using the t test and Chi square test.Results:The incidence of PDPH was 5% in group W and 28.12% in group Q, and the difference in incidence was statistically significant (P<0.001).Conclusion:The pencil-point 25G Whitacre spinal needle causes less incidence of PDPH compared to the classic 25G Quincke needle, and is recommended for use in patients at risk of PDPH.

No abstract