Background: Shivering is an unpleasant and stressful symptom for the patient undergoing surgery. It occurs as a thermoregulatory response to hypothermia. Shivering obscures intraoperative monitoring. It can be detrimental to patients with low cardiorespiratory reserve as it increases oxygen demand, produces arterial hypoxemia and lactic acidosis. This study aimed to evaluate the relative efficacy of intravenously administered Inj. Dexmedetomidine 0.5µg/kg in 100 ml NS and Tramadol 0.5 mg/kg in 100 ml NS and 100 ml NS as a placebo group in controlling shivering posted for lower abdominal surgeries and lower limb general surgeries under spinal anaesthesia.

Method: 120 participants, aged 18 to 65 years, of ASA Physical status I and II, scheduled for lower abdominal surgeries and lower limbgeneral surgeries under spinal anaesthesia. The patients were randomly allocated into 3 groups of 40 each and were named as group D (Dexmedetomidine 0.5µg/kg), group T (Tramadol 0.5mg/kg) and group N (100ml Normal Saline) as aplacebo. Vital parameters of the patients such as heart rate, blood pressure, spo2, temperature and shivering score, sedation score were monitored at regular intervals as per protocol. Statistical tests like Chi square test, Student’s t test (unpaired and paired) were applied to the data collected.

Results: Both the dexmedetomidine and tramadol were effective in the prevention of postspinal shivering. Dexmedetomidine had better sedation profile (P value<0.00001) without any respiratory depression and had fewer incidences of nausea and vomiting when compared to Tramadol. Thus, it can be used as a better alternate for shivering prophylaxis for patients undergoing surgeries under regional anesthesia.

Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine is more effective in the prevention of shivering when compared with tramadol and placebo (normal saline). Dexmedetomidine has an added advantage of adequate reliable sedation. Hence we conclude that Dexmedetomidine at 0.5µg/ kg is most effective in the prevention of shivering when compared with tramadol.