Shivering is one of the undesirable and distressing complications following regional anaesthesia, which increases physiological stress. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of intravenous (IV) Dexmedetomidine to Pethidine in treating shivering following subarachnoid block.
Materials and methods: 60 patients with the American Society of Anaesthesiologists' physical status 1 and 2 posted for lower limbs surgeries under spinal anaesthesia were divided into groups P and D. Patients in Group P and Group D received IV Pethidine 0.5 mg/kg and 0.25µg/kg of IV Dexmedetomidine. Temperature, heart rate and blood pressure were monitored intraoperatively. Also, the time for onset, severity and cessation of shivering was monitored during the intraoperative period.
Results: The time taken for cessation of shivering in Pethidine and Dexmedetomidine groups were 3.53 and 3.00 min, respectively, with a p-value of 0.441, which was not statistically significant. There was no significant change in haemodynamics in the dexmedetomidine group compared to the pethidine group.
Conclusion: Intravenous Dexmedetomidine, when used at a dose of 0.25µg/kg, was non-inferior to pethidine in reducing shivering associated with a neuraxial block during lower limb surgeries with minimal haemodynamic changes and without any major adverse effect during the perioperative period.
Key words: Spinal anaesthesia, Shivering, Pethidine, Dexmedetomidine
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