Low-dose diluted bupivacaine with fentanyl 25 microg or sufentanil 5 microg can provide adequate anaesthesia without haemodynamic instability for TURP in elderly patients. However, sufentanil was superior to fentanyl in the quality of the spinal block produced.

Low-dose bupivacaine can limit the spinal block level with minimal hemodynamic effects and yield a rapid recovery, but sometimes it may not provide adequate anesthesia for surgery. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α2-adrenoreceptor agonist, was shown to be a potent antinociceptive agent when given intrathecally in animals and humans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adjuvant effects of intrathecal dexmedetomidine in elderly patients undergoing transurethral prostate surgery with low-dose bupivacaine spinal anesthesia. Fifty-four patients undergoing transurethral prostate surgery were randomized into two groups receiving either dexmedetomidine 3 µg (n=27) or normal saline (n=27) intrathecally with 6 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine. The characteristics of the spinal block and postoperative analgesic effects were evaluated. The peak block level was similar for the two groups. However, the dexmedetomidine group demonstrated a faster onset time to the peak block and longer duration of spinal block than the saline group (p<0.01). The motor block scales at the time of peak sensory block and regression of 2-sensory dermatomes were higher in the dexmedetomidine group than in the saline group ( p<0.001). There was less analgesic request and the time to the first analgesic request was longer in the dexmedetomidine group than in the saline group (each 487, 345 min, p<0.05). Dexmedetomidine 3 µg when added to intrathecal bupivacaine 6 mg produced fast onset and a prolonged duration of sensory block and postoperative analgesia in elderly patients for transurethral surgery. However, recovery of motor block could be delayed in dexmedetomidine-added patients.Key words anaesthesia; spinal; dexmedetomidine; transurethral resection of prostate; bupivacaine; elderly patient Spinal block is a common anesthetic technique for patients undergoing transurethral resection of prostate (TURP). Most patients indicated for TURP are elderly and frequently associated with cardiopulmonary, endocrine, or other comorbidities.1) Thus, it is important to limit the block level to minimize hemodynamic changes during the spinal anesthesia in such patients.2,3) Low-dose local anesthetics can limit the block level and induce rapid recovery from anesthesia, but sometimes these low-dose local anesthetics may not provide an adequate anesthetic level for surgery. Intrathecal opioids or clonidine are frequently co-administered with local anesthetics to improve the anesthetic quality and postoperative analgesia [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] ; the synergistic action of clonidine with local anesthetics is well-established.6-8) Unlike opioids, intrathecal clonidine does not produce respiratory depression or pruritus, but usual dose of clonidine (15-150 µg) may be associated with bradycardia, hypotension, or sedation. 6-8)Dexmedetomidine is an S-enantiomer of medetomidine with a higher specificity for α2-adrenoreceptor (α2 : α1, 1620 : 1) compared to clonidine (α2 : α1, 220 : 1). It was first introduced into practical use as intravenous sedative after the appro...

ClinicalTrials.gov. The number of registration: NCT01041378.

No abstract

BackgroundPostoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) continues to be a major problem, because PONV is associated with delayed recovery and prolonged hospital stay. Although the PONV guidelines recommended the use of 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (5-HT3) receptor antagonists as the first-line prophylactic agents in patients categorized as high-risk, there are few studies comparing the efficacies of ondansetron, ramosetron, and palonosetron. The aim of present study was to compare the prophylactic antiemetic efficacies of three 5HT3 receptor antagonists in high-risk patients after laparoscopic surgery.MethodsIn this prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial, 109 female nonsmokers scheduled for elective laparoscopic surgery were randomized to receive intravenous 4 mg ondansetron (n = 35), 0.3 mg ramosetron (n = 38), or 75 µg palonosetron (n = 36) before anesthesia. Fentanyl-based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia was administered for 48 h after surgery. Primary antiemetic efficacy variables were the incidence and severity of nausea, the frequency of emetic episodes during the first 48 h after surgery, and the need to use a rescue antiemetic medication.ResultsThe overall incidence of nausea/retching/vomiting was lower in the palonosetron (22.2%/11.1%/5.6%) than in the ondansetron (77.1%/48.6%/28.6%) and ramosetron (60.5%/28.9%/18.4%) groups. The rescue antiemetic therapy was required less frequently in the palonosetron group than the other groups (P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the order of prophylactic efficacy in delaying the interval to use of a rescue emetic was palonosetron, ramosetron, and ondansetron.ConclusionsSingle-dose palonosetron is the prophylactic antiemetics of choice in high-risk patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.