A Comparative Study on the Analgesic Efficacy of Bilateral Suprazygomatic Maxillary Nerve Block Under Ultrasound Guidance with 0.25% Bupivacaine and 0.25% Bupivacaine with Dexmedetomidine in Paediatric Patients Undergoing Cleft Palate Repair - A Randomized Prospective Double Blinded Study

Abstract

Objective: Cleft palate repair involves surgery on the both hard and soft palate leading to severe pain, intense sympathetic stimulation, and bleeding. In our study we analysed the analgesic efficacy of bupivacaine alone and bupivacaine with dexmedetomidine in ultrasound guided bilateral suprazygomatic maxillary nerve block (SMN) for cleft palate repair. Methods: This study was a randomized prospective double-blinded study. Fourty six children of the ASA class I and II posted for cleft palate repair were randomized into Group A and Group B. In Group A, 23 children had SMN block with 0.15 mL kg-1 of 0.25% bupivacaine with saline and the same procedure was repeated on other side. In Group B, 23 children received SMN block with a volume of 0.15 mL kg-1 of 0.25% bupivacaine with dexmedetomidine 0.5 µg kg-1 on each side. Primary outcomes analysed were pain scores in post operative period by Children and Infants Post-Operative Pain Scale (CHIPPS) and the analgesia duration. Postoperative pain scores were analysed at 30 minutes intervals for 2 hours in Post Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and at every 2 hours interval for 24 hours in the postoperative ward. Results: Group A and B were comparable in demographic variables like age, gender, weight, ASA status, and duration of surgery. Children in Group B had significantly longer duration of analgesia when compared to that of Group A (12±4.73 hours vs 5.41± 3.9 hours) (p=0.003). Children had significantly lower pain scores in Group B at zero min in PACU (p=0.04), after 90 min (p=0.02), at 2 hours (p<0.001), 4 hours (p<0.001), 6 hours (p=0.006) and at 8 hours (p=0.02) when compared to that in Group A. Conclusion: Children who received bupivacaine with dexmedetomidine in SMN block had a longer analgesia duration and lesser postoperative pain scores than children who received bupivacaine alone. Keywords: Maxillary nerve block, Dexmedetomidine, pain scores, postoperative analgesia, rescue analgesia