Does oral clonidine premedication decrease bleeding during open rhinoplasty?

This uni-blind randomized clinical trial study investigated the effect of clonidine premedication on preoperative blood loss during open rhinoplasty. The subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups. The members of the first group received oral clonidine as a single dose (0.2 mg) 2 hours before the induction of general anesthesia, whereas the members of the second group received a placebo. All subjects underwent open rhinoplasty without septoplasty. One anesthetic protocol was followed for all subjects. Variable factors include the subjects' weight, age, sex, and blood pressure during the surgery as well as blood loss during rhinoplasty. Group 1 consisted of 22 women and 11 men, whereas group 2 was composed of 16 women and 17 men. The mean for blood loss amounted to 68.03 ± 22.49 mL for group 1 and 132.12 ± 78.53 mL for group 2. An assessment demonstrated a significant difference in blood loss between the 2 groups (P < 0.001.) Oral clonidine premedication thus may decrease preoperative bleeding during open rhinoplasty.