Twenty-four-hour Requirement of Rescue Analgesia after Upper Limb Surgery under Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block: A Role of Nalbuphine as an Adjuvant to Levobupivacaine

JOURNAL TITLE: AMEI's Current Trends in Diagnosis & Treatment

Author
1. Shivika Aggarwal
2. Ruchi Gupta
3. Anita Kumari
ISSN
2582-4260
DOI
10.5005/jp-journals-10055-0115
Volume
5
Issue
1
Publishing Year
2021
Pages
5
Author Affiliations
    1. Department of Anaesthesia, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India
    1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Eternal Heart Care Center Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
    1. Department of Anaesthesia, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India
  • Article keywords
    Analgesia, Levobupivacaine, Nalbuphine hydrochloride, Postoperative pain, Supraclavicular brachial plexus

    Abstract

    Background: Opioids have been used with peripheral nerve blocks for its synergistic effect to enhance the postoperative analgesic effectiveness of regional block. Nalbuphine, a newer opioid with an analgesic equivalence of morphine, has a ceiling effect on respiratory depression. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of nalbuphine when used as an adjuvant to levobupivacaine on 24-hour postoperative analgesic requirement after brachial plexus block (BPB). Materials and methods: Sixty adult patients of either sex of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I and II were randomized into two groups of 30 each to receive a total volume of 30 mL of study drug for supraclavicular brachial plexus block (SBPB): Group N—29 mL of 0.5% levobupivacaine with 1 mL of 10 mg nalbuphine; Group S—29 mL of 0.5% levobupivacaine with 1 mL of normal saline. Patients observed for 24-hour postoperative mean requirement of rescue analgesia, that is, diclofenac sodium, block characteristics, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, and the associated complications. Results: Demographic profile was comparable between the two groups. The mean dose of rescue analgesic required between the groups N and S was 127.5 ± 34.96 mg and 150 ± 37.5 mg (p = 0.000), respectively. The average VAS score at different time intervals was highly significant between the two groups (p <0.05). Similarly, block characteristics were statistically significant between the two groups; that is, onset was early, but the duration was prolonged in group N (p <0.05). Complications, although more in group N, were minor and statistically insignificant (p >0.05). Conclusion: Nalbuphine 10 mg as an adjunct to 0.5% levobupivacaine significantly reduced the requirement of rescue analgesia compared to placebo, with no significant major adverse effects.

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