A comparative study of sedo-analgesic effect of dexmedetomidine and dexmedetomidine with ketamine in postoperative mechanically ventilated patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

To compare the sedoanalgesic effects of dexmedetomidine alone or with combination of ketamine.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

After getting ethical approval and informed patient consent, 60 adult surgical patients, were randomly divided into two groups. Group KD ( = 30); received dexmedotomidine 0.5 μg/kg/h mixed with ketamine 0.5 μg/kg/h and Group DEX ( = 30); received dexmedotomidine at 0.5 mg/kg/h infusion only. In both the groups, study drugs were titrated (dexmedetomidine- 0.2-0.7 μg/kg/h and ketamine 0.2-0.7 mg/kg/h) to achieve target sedation. Hemodynamic variables, pain scores, sedation scores, and patient satisfaction were recorded. Qualitative and Quantitative data were analyzed with Pearson Chi-squared test and analysis of variance test, respectively. All analyses were done by using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16.0.

RESULTS

Pain scores were higher in group DEX than in group KD at 2 h and 4 h which was statistically significant ( < 0.05). At the end of 2 h, sedation scores were higher in group KD than in group DEX and was statistically significant ( < 0.05). Length of intensive care unit stay was almost comparable in both groups, and the time to tracheal extubation was lesser in ketamine-dexmedetomidine group as compared to the dexmedetomidine alone group. However the difference was statistically non-significant.

CONCLUSIONS

By combining dexmedetomidine with ketamine we observed lower incidence of hypotension and bradycardia. Dexmedetomidine with ketamine combination therapy could be used safely and effectively as sedo-analgesic agent.