Comparison of Efficacy of Levobupivacaine 0.375% and Levobupivacaine 0.25% along with a Fixed Dose of Dexmedetomidine for Ultrasound-guided Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block
Citation Information :
Khan N, Kumar M, Akhtar N, Sinha N, Kumar R, Abhishek K. Comparison of Efficacy of Levobupivacaine 0.375% and Levobupivacaine 0.25% along with a Fixed Dose of Dexmedetomidine for Ultrasound-guided Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block. 2024; 3 (2):72-76.
Background: The supraclavicular brachial plexus block (SBPB) is a widely used approach in regional anesthesia (RA). The use of ultrasound (USG) guidance significantly reduces the complications of SBPB. Recent advancements suggest that combining lower concentrations of levobupivacaine with dexmedetomidine can maintain efficacy while minimizing adverse reactions. Levobupivacaine 0.5 and 0.25% have been used in combination with dexmedetomidine at doses of 1 µg/kg of body weight; however, the effects of concentrations of levobupivacaine (0.375 and 0.25%) on block parameters and hemodynamics in SBPB, when combined with a fixed dose of dexmedetomidine, for upper limb procedures, remain underexplored. This study investigates the efficacy of 0.375 and 0.25% levobupivacaine, combined with a fixed dose of dexmedetomidine, in USG-guided SBPB.
Materials and methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial was conducted on a total of 60 patients scheduled for elective upper limb surgery from June 2021 to May 2022 at our regional medical center. Participants were divided into two groups of 30 each. Group I received 30 mL of 0.375% levobupivacaine with 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine, and group II received 30 mL of 0.25% levobupivacaine with 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine. The duration of analgesia was the primary outcome. The onset and duration of sensorimotor blockade, hemodynamic variables, sedation score, and adverse effects were secondary outcomes. Statistical analysis was performed using appropriate tests in Excel for Windows ver. 15, 2013, United States of America.
Results: Group I exhibited a significantly faster onset of sensory block (3.93 ± 1.70 minutes) compared to group II (6.07 ± 1.53 minutes). Additionally, group I patients experienced earlier paresthesia and paralysis of the hand and shoulder joints. The duration of analgesia was significantly longer in group I (p < 0.05). Hemodynamic evaluation 2 hours postblock showed no significant differences in mean blood pressure or heart rate between the groups (p > 0.05). Sedation scores, measured using the modified Ramsay Sedation Scale, were comparable between the groups (p > 0.05), with average scores of 2.27 ± 0.45 for group I and 2.23 ± 0.43 for group II.
Conclusion: Both concentrations of levobupivacaine, when combined with dexmedetomidine, provided effective surgical anesthesia. However, 0.375% levobupivacaine resulted in a faster onset and prolonged sensory and motor blockade duration compared to 0.25% levobupivacaine. Neither combination resulted in significant side effects or complications, highlighting their safety and efficacy for SBPB.
Iyengar SS, Pangotra A, Abhishek K, et al. The comparison of dexmedetomidine to dexamethasone as adjuvants to bupivacaine in ultrasound-guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block in upper limb surgeries. Cureus 2023;15(7):e41668. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41668
Agarwal S, Aggarwal R, Gupta P. Dexmedetomidine prolongs the effect of bupivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol 2014;30(1):36–40. DOI: 10.4103/0970-9185.125701
Jankovic D, Peng P. Regional Nerve Blocks in Anesthesia and Pain Therapy: Traditional and Ultrasound-guided Techniques. Springer; 2015.
Fredrickson MJ, Krishnan S, Chen CY. Postoperative analgesia for shoulder surgery: a critical appraisal and review of current techniques. Anaesthesia 2010;65(6):608–624. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2009.06231.x
Prakash, J, Prabhu JP, Kharwar RK, et al. Comparison of epidural levobupivacaine and bupivacaine in lower abdominal and lower limb surgeries. Bali J Anesthesiol 2020;4(3):95–98. DOI: 10.4103/BJOA.BJOA_21_20
Gautier P, Vandepitte C, Ramquet C, et al. The minimum effective anesthetic volume of 0.75% ropivacaine in ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus block. Anesth Analg 2011;113(4):951–955. DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31822b876f
Biswas S, Das RK, Mukherjee G, et al. Dexmedetomidine an adjuvant to levobupivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block: a randomized double blind prospective study. Ethiop J Health Sci 2014;24(3):203–208. DOI: 10.4314/ejhs.v24i3.3
Kathuria S, Gupta S, Dhawan I. Dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to ropivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Saudi J Anaesth 2015;9(2):148–154. DOI: 10.4103/1658-354X.152841
Singh AP, Mahindra M, Gupta R, et al. Dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to levobupivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block: a novel anesthetic approach. Anesth Essays Res 2016;10(3):414–419. DOI: 10.4103/0259-1162.176404
Kosugi T, Mizuta K, Fujita T, et al. High concentrations of dexmedetomidine inhibit compound action potentials in frog sciatic nerves without alpha(2) adrenoceptor activation. Br J Pharmacol 2010;160(7):1662–1676. DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00833.x
Iyer LS, Bhat SS, Nethra HN, et al. A comparative study of effect of 0.25% levobupivacaine with dexmedetomidine versus 0.25% levobupivacaine in ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Anesth Essays Res 2021;15(4):443–447. DOI: 10.4103/aer.aer_145_21
Nallam SR, Chiruvella S, Karanam S. Supraclavicular brachial plexus block: comparison of varying doses of dexmedetomidine combined with levobupivacaine: a double-blind randomised trial. Indian J Anaesth 2017;61(3):256–261. DOI: 10.4103/ija.IJA_700_15
Veena G, Pangotra A, Kumar S, et al. Comparison of perineural and intravenous dexamethasone as an adjuvant to levobupivacaine in ultrasound-guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block: a prospective randomized trial. Anesth Essays Res 2021;15(1):45–50. DOI: 10.4103/aer.aer_69_21
Nugent SM, Lovejoy TI, Shull S, et al. Associations of pain numeric rating scale scores collected during usual care with research administered patient reported pain outcomes. Pain Med 2021;22(10):2235–2241. DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnab110
Kaur H, Singh G, Rani S, et al. Effect of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to levobupivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block: a randomized double-blind prospective study. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol 2015;31(3):333–338. DOI: 10.4103/0970-9185.161668
Arora KK, Bhatt N, Kabir KK. A clinical comparison between 0.375% levobupivacaine and 0.375% levobupivacaine with 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine in brachial plexus block by supraclavicular approach for upper limb surgeries. Int J Med Anesthesiol 2021;4(1):113–117. DOI: 10.33545/26643766.2021.v4.i1b.207
Sandhu NS, Manne JS, Medabalmi PK, et al. Sonographically guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block in adults: a retrospective analysis of 1146 cases. J Ultrasound Med 2006;25(12):1555–1561. DOI: 10.7863/jum.2006.25.12.1555
Jalonen J, Hynynen M, Kuitunen A, et al. Dexmedetomidine as an anesthetic adjunct in coronary artery bypass grafting. Anesthesiology 1997;86(2):331–345. DOI: 10.1097/00000542-199702000-00009
Balakrishnan S, Kunikkakath S, Jacob KK, et al. Comparative study on the clinical profile of different doses of dexmedetomidine with levobupivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Indian J Clin Anaesth 2016;3:432–438. DOI: 10.5958/2394-4994.2016.00073.1
Thakur A, Singh J, Kumar S, et al. Efficacy of dexmedetomidine in two different doses as an adjuvant to lignocaine in patients scheduled for surgeries under axillary block. J Clin Diagn Res 2017;11(4):UC16–UC21. DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2017/23540.9678
Williams SR, Chouinard P, Arcand G, et al. Ultrasound guidance speeds execution and improves the quality of supraclavicular block. Anesth Analg 2003;97(5):1518–1523. DOI: 10.1213/01.ANE.0000086730.09173.CA