A comparative study between dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone as adjuvants to 0.5 percent ropivacaine in ultrasound guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block.

Patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria and posted for upper limb surgeries will be assigned to either group A and group B through a computer-generated random numbers, maintaining a equal ratio. Group A patients will receive 30 ml of 0.5 percent Ropivacaine with Dexmedetomidine 50micrograms and Group B will receive 30 ml of 0.5 percent Ropivacaine with 8milligram of Dexamethasone. Under Ultrasound guidance supraclavicular  brachial plexus block will be given, onset of sensory and motor block will be noted. Duration of sensory and motor block will be assessed 5mins for first 30mins thereafter 10mins for 2hrs and every 30mins till the end of surgery. Post-operatively, sensory and motor blockade and  vital parameters will  be recorded at 10mins 30mins and 1, 2, 4 ,6, 12 and 24hours after the 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 Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone as an adjuvant to ropivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Hence, the present study will be undertaken to compare the efficacy of Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone 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.