Regional Anaesthesia in the form of interscalene brachial plexus approach is often used for upper limb orthopaedic surgeries. Ropivacaine is an amino-amide local anaesthetic newly introduced in Indian clinical practice with less cardiac and CNS toxicity. Dexamethasone as adjuvant appears to be effective in prolonging the duration of analgesia. Hence the present study is undertaken to study the effect of adding Dexamethasone to Ropivacaine.

After institutional ethical clearance and informed written consent, 60 ASA I/II patients aged between 18-60 years, posted for upper limb orthopaedic surgeries given interscalene brachial plexus block using nerve stimulator in K.R.Hospital attached to MMC&RI Mysore, were randomly divided into two groups of n=30 to receive.

Receives 28ml of 0.5%Ropivacaine+2ml of Normal saline.

Receives 28ml of 0.5%Ropivacaine+2ml of Dexamethasone(8mg). The parameters compared in both the group are onset and duration of sensory and motor blockade, quality of block, hemodynamic changes and side effects if any.The results were analysed for statistical significance(P) using student t test and ANOVA.

The duration of sensory and motor blockade was significantly higher in RD group(P<0.05),with no hemodynamic variations and adverse effects in both the groups

Addition of dexamethasone for brachial plexus block significantly Prolongs the duration of analgesia without any adverse effects.