A Comparative Study of Two Different Doses of Dexmedetomidine on Attenuation of Stress Response to Endotracheal Intubation in Patients Undergoing Elective Surgeries Under General Anaesthesia

Introduction: Under general anaesthesia, laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation elicit a strong sympathoadrenal response with potentially fatal implications in individuals with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular illnesses. To counteract this reaction, a variety of pharmacological treatments have been used.Aim: The present study was planned to compare the effects of two different doses of dexmedetomidine (bolus doses) on attenuation of stress response to Laryngoscopy and Endotracheal Intubation. Materials & Methods: A Randomized double-blinded prospective comparative study. Sixty patients of both sex (ASA grade I or II) undergoing GA were randomly divided into two groups equally as Group A (dexmedetomidine 1μg·kg− 1) and Group B (dexmedetomidine 0.5μg.kg− 1). Heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were recorded at baseline, after completion of infusion (T1), 1 min (T2), 3min (T3), 5min (T4), & 10min (T5) following intubation.Results: The Student’s independent t-test was employed for comparing continuous variables. Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, whichever is appropriate, was applied for comparing categorical variables. Immediately after intubation, there was a lesser rise of SBP, DBP, and MAP in both the groups but there was a significant reduction in pressure values in group A at 1 minute after intubation compared to group B. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine at a dose of 1μg·kg-1administered over 10 minutes before induction of general anaesthesia more effectively attenuates the haemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation than dexmedetomidine 0.5μg·kg-1infusion over the same period, without any significant adverse effects