Evaluate the Effect of Dexmeditomedine as an Adjuvant to 0.5% Bupivacaine in Ultrasound-guided Axillary Nerve Block: A Research Protocol

Introduction: Effective perioperative pain management is a key component of enhanced recovery in upper limb surgeries. Ultrasound-guided Axillary Brachial Plexus Block (ABPB) is a reliable regional anaesthesia technique. Bupivacaine, a longacting local anaesthetic, is commonly used for such blocks. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α2-adrenergic agonist, has been suggested to enhance block quality and prolong analgesia when used as an adjuvant. Need of the study: However, there is limited evidence for forearm fractures comparing the efficacy of dexmedetomidine with bupivacaine versus bupivacaine alone in axillary blocks, highlighting the need for this study to establish its clinical benefit and safety profile. Aim: To evaluate and compare the effect of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to 0.5% bupivacaine and 0.5% bupivacaine without dexmedetomidine in ultrasound-guided axillary nerve block for forearm and hand surgeries. Materials and Methods: A single-blinded randomised controlled study will be conducted at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Sawangi (Wardha), Maharashtra, from October 2025 to October 2026. Patients will be randomly allocated into two groups of 30 each: Group-BD will receive 20 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine with 0.2 mL dexmedetomidine, and Group-B will receive 20 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine with 0.2 mL saline. Sensory and motor block characteristics, duration of analgesia, pain scores, and complications will be recorded and analysed. The data will be analysed using the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality, independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U test for group comparisons, Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test for categorical data. A p-value <0.05 will be considered statistically significant.