MGSO4 AND DEXMEDETOMIDINE AS ADJUVANTS TO LOCAL ANAESTHETICS IN BRACHIAL PLEXUS BLOCK (USG GUIDED) FOR UPPER LIMB SURGERY: A COMPARATIVE EVALUATION

Background: Peripheral nerve block has become quite popular in outpatient and inpatient anaesthesia for upper limb procedures due to its safety and unmatched success rate. Supplementing local anaesthetics with adjuvants extends the postoperative time as well as providing intraoperative care. The objective is to assess the effectiveness of bupivacaine and MgSO4 as adjuvants in the supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Methods and Results: 60 Patients were arbitrarily split into two equal groups. 20 mL of 0.5% Bupivacaine with 1 mL of Dexmedetomidine (100 g) were injected into Group D (n = 30), ) and 20 mL of 0.5% Bupivacaine with 1 mL of MgSO4 (250 mg) were injected into Group M (n = 30). Hemodynamic parameters, sedation score, analgesia onset and duration, and satisfaction scores were all chronicled. The onset of sensory block was faster in Group D (5.43 ± 0.48 min) than in Group M (7.09 ± 0.14 min). The time of onset of motor block was faster in Group D (8.14 ± 0.56 min) than in Group M (10.87 ± 0.71 min) The duration of analgesia was again higher in Group D (1012.2 ± 24.15min) than in Group M (607.4±11.72 min). Conclusions:When compared to patients receiving MgSO4, patients receiving dexmedetomidine have sensory and motor blocks that begin earlier, endure longer, and have smaller postoperative rescue analgesia requirements. With dexmedetomidine, there is a greater frequency but non-significant incidences of hypotension, bradycardia, and better sedation score.