Mousumi Das1 , Saswati Das2 , Debashish Mishra3 , Pradip Kumar Maharana4
BACKGROUND We wanted to study the attenuation of haemodynamic stress responses during laryngoscopy and intubation using safe and effective dose of dexmedetomidine. METHODS In this prospective double-blind placebo control interventional study, 120 patients of ASA-I and ASA-II scheduled for elective surgeries under general anaesthesia were divided randomly into four equal groups. Group A, group B, and group C received 0.5 mcg / Kg, 0.75 mcg / Kg and 1 mcg / Kg of dexmedetomidine intra venous (IV) respectively and Group D received 10 mL normal saline (NS) IV as bolus prior to induction of anaesthesia. Haemodynamic parameters were recorded before administration of the study drug, at 5 min with ongoing infusion of study drug, after completion of the study drug (at 10 min.), immediately after induction, during intubation, every minute thereafter up to 5 mins then 10 min after intubation. Data was analysed using SPSS. RESULTS Groups were well matched for their demographic data. There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) among different doses of dexmedetomidine and normal saline in haemodynamics from infusion of drugs to tracheal intubation and up to 10 minutes after intubation. There were no such adverse effects (hypotension, bradycardia, respiratory depression and fall in oxygen saturation) in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS Dexmedetomidine 0.5 mcg / Kg loading dose is the safe and effective dose to attenuate haemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation.
