“Effect of adding megnisium sulphateas an adjuvant to bupivacaine in spinal anesthesia for lower abdominal surgery”

Regional anesthesia is a safe, effective and cheap anesthesia with an added advantage of long duration of post operative analgesia. With epidural block, catheter have been used to produce long post operative analgesia while with spinal anesthesia many adjuvant are used with local anesthetic agent to increase the total duration of effective analgesia. The present study was conducted in selected 60 patients aged 20-60yrs, ASA GRADE I and II scheduled for lower abdominal surgeries after taking written informed consent.

The patients were randomly allocated in 2 groups, each having 30 patients. Group A: 0.5% heavy bupivacaine 3ml (15 mg) + Normal saline 0.2 ml Group B: 0.5% heavy bupivacaine 3ml(15 mg)+50%mgso4 0.2 ml(100mg) Total drug volume with saline in both groups was 3.2ml.and effects were assessed

Difference in the duration of effective analgesia between the two groups was statistically highly significant (P value < 0.001). The duration of effective analgesia was significantly lower in Group A (Bupivacaine) compared to group B (Bupivacaine- Magnesium sulphate).

It was concluded that magnesium sulphate used as an adjuvant to bupivacaine to produce Central neuroaxial block is useful in prolonging the duration of spinal analgesia and post operative analgesia without any significant side effects.