PROLONGED SYSTEMIC SPINAL ANESTHESIA IN ORTHOPEDICS AND TRAUMATOLOGY (clinical study)

Introduction. The task of providing anesthesia for long-term operations on the lower extremities in the traumatology and orthopedics is resolved by different ways. Prolonged systemic spinal anesthesia (SA) using oral clonidine (clophelin) deserves a special attention. Aim is to study the duration of SA using oral clonidine (clophelin) in orthopedic and traumatic patients who were undergoing prolonged surgery on the knee joint and the proximal tibia epi-metaphysis. Materials and Methods: The study involved 43 patients who were divided into two groups - group without clophelin (22 patients) and group with clophelin (21 patients) use. Operations in both groups were performed under conditions of SA (0.5% solution of isobaric bupivacaine at a dose of 13 mg in combination with 40 mg of 2% solution of lidocaine). In group with clophelin the premedication included the addition appointment of oral clophelin at a dose of 4 μg / kg (approximately 300 μg) 60 minutes before surgery. There were determined the SA duration, the total duration of intraoperative anesthesia, the total duration of the pneumatic harness action, a state of hemodynamics during the operation and postoperative period. Results and Discussions. There were no statistically significant differences in duration of operations in the group without clophelin and in group with clophelin that amounted to 228.63 ± 51.59 minutes and 241.04 ± 48.46 minutes, respectively (p = 0.24). SA duration in the group with clophelin statistically significantly exceeded the duration in group without clophelin and consisted of 236.38 ± 39.76 minutes and 204.77 ± 38.92 minutes, respectively (p = 0.011). The pulse rate in the clophelin group, comparing to the group without clophelin was significantly lower during the operation, in 6 hours after surgery and did not reach the level of critical bradycardia. The mean arterial pressure in the group with clophelin, comparing with group without clophelin was significantly lower during the operation, in 24 hours after surgery and did not reach the level of critical hypotension.Conclusions. The duration of SA by bupivacaine in combination with lidocaine using oral clonidine (clophelin) before surgery at a dose of 4 μg / kg (about 300 μg) in orthopedic and traumatic patients undergoing the knee joint surgery was increased by an average of 32 minutes. Against the background of prolonged systemic SA with the use of oral clonidine (clophelin), these operations can be performed for up to 4 hours. The detected hemodynamic changes against the background of clonidine use were not critical and are not considered as complications.