DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i03.044

Pages: 1271-1276

Intrathecal injections of opioids like buprenorphine have been reported to cause anti-nociception in animals and pain relief in human beings including the potentiation of local anaesthetic action in the spinal cord. The present study was aimed to evaluate the cardiorespiratory and adverse effects of addition of buprenorphine to bupivacaine a local anaesthetic used for spinal anaesthesia. The study was prospective, randomized and observer blinded. It involved 100 patients (50 per group) ASA I and II, age 20-60 years undergoing lower limb surgeries under spinal anaesthesia. Patients were randomized into two groups; the study group received a spinal injection of hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% (heavy) 2.5 ml (12.5 mg) plus buprenorphine 1µg/kg (not > 50 ug). which was diluted in 0.5 ml of normal saline and control group receiving injection bupivacaine 0.5% (heavy) 2.5 ml (12.5 mg) plus 0.5 ml normal saline thus making the volume constant around 3 ml. Results of the present study showed that in both the groups the basal heart rate level were almost similar with t-value being 1.39 and p-value being an 0.017 which was not significant, but intraoperatively at 15 minutes, 45 minutes there was an increase in heart rate which is statistically significant and at 180 minutes the heart rate being similar in both the groups with t-value being 0.50 with p-value being 0.62 which is not significant. The basal respiratory rate was compared in the two groups the t-value was 4.01 with the p-value being > 0.05 which was insignificant, at 15 minutes the t-value was 5.10 and p-value being < 0.01 which is highly significant, at 45 minutes the t-value was 2.83 with p-value being < 0.01 which is significant, at 90 minutes the t-value was 1.30 and p-value of 0.20 which is not significant, at 180 minutes the t-value being 2.05 and p-value being 0.04 which is significant.