Comparison of the sedative effect of dexmedetomidine and morphine in leg fracture surgeries under epidural anesthesia; a randomized clinical trial

Providing appropriate sedation to control patient anxiety with minimal hemodynamic changes and minimal complications in patients undergoing relatively long orthopedic surgery with epidural anesthesia is very important and necessary. This study aimed to compare the sedative effect of dexmedetomidine and morphine in fracture leg surgery under epidural anesthesia.

In this study, 80 patients aged 18 to 60 years with ASA: I, II underwent lumbar epidural anesthesia after initial monitoring. Patients were divided into two groups: D - dexmedetomidine - (N = 40) and M - morphine - (N = 40). Then the sensory and motor block level to start the surgery, the duration of sensory and motor block, the degree of sedation with the Modified Ramsay Sedation Scale, and hemodynamic changes during the operation were measured and recorded.

Group D had a shorter time to reach the sensory and motor block level than group M (P <0.001). The degree of sedation in group D was higher than in group M (P <0.0001), But there was no significant difference between hemodynamic changes and respiratory complications between the two groups.

Dexmedetomidine can provide good sedation with minimal hemodynamic changes in patients under epidural anesthesia.