Comparison between Bupivacaine alone and bupivacaine plus buprenorphine using ultrasound guided supraclavicular block at a tertiary care hospital.

Objective: To compare ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block with bupivacaine versus those receiving bupivacaine combined with buprenorphine. Study Design: Randomized Control Trials. Setting: Department of Anesthesia, Nishtar Hospital Multan. Period: 14th April 2023 to 13th October 2023. Methods: In total, 60 patients between the ages of 18 and 60 under brachial plexus block, appointments for elective elbow, forearm, and hand procedures were included. Local site infections, drug allergies, and coagulopathy (INR>1.5) were excluded. A brachial plexus block was performed on Group B using 35 ml, which included 30 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine and 5 ml of saline. Group A was given a brachial plexus block with 3μg/kg buprenorphine and 0.5% bupivacaine. The study assessed hemodynamic changes, the initiation of sensory and motor blockade, and the duration of the block in patients. Results: In this work, the average duration of sensory and motor block in bupivacaine alone vs bupivacaine plus buprenorphine were 285.67 ± 15.28 min vs 1149.43 ± 59.69 min and 225.27 ± 9.10 min vs 866.53 ± 26.17 min with p-value < 0.0001 respectively. Conclusion: In patients undergoing upper limb surgery, the comparison of sensory and motor blockade duration demonstrated that bupivacaine plus buprenorphine is superior than bupivacaine alone in supraclavicular block.