Comparative study of nalbuphine and clonidine as an adjuvant to ropivacaine in ultrasound guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block: a prospective randomised study

Patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria and posted for upper limb surgeries will be assigned to either group N and group C through a computer-generated sequence of random numbers, maintaining a equal ratio. Patients will be allocated to one of the two groups, Group N will receive 30 ml of 0.5 percent Ropivacaine with 10mg Nalbuphine and Group C will receive 30 ml of 0.5 percent Ropivacaine with Clonidine 75 microgram. Under Ultrasound guidance brachial plexus block will be given, onset of sensory and motor block will be noted. Duration of sensory and motor block will be assessed every 5min for first 30min thereafter every 10 min till end of surgery. Post-operatively, sensory and motor blockade and vital parameters will be noted at 10min,30min and 1,2,4,6 and 12 hour after the end of surgery. The block will be considered incomplete when any of the segments supplied by median, radial, ulnar and musculocutaneous nerve did not have analgesia even after 30min of drug injection. Then such patients will be converted to general anaesthesia and will be excluded from the study.

There is limited literature available comparing nalbuphine and clonidine as an adjuvant to ropivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Hence, the present study will be undertaken to compare the efficacy of nalbuphine and clonidine as an adjuvant to ropivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block in terms of onset and duration of sensory and motor block and duration of post operative analgesia.