Analgesia using sufentanil and sufentanil plus dexmedetomidine following cesarean section and effect on placental hypoxia-inducible factors.

Objective: To investigate the analgesic effect of sufentanil plus dexmedetomidine following cesarean section and to determine its influence on placental hypoxia-inducible factors.

Materials and methods: A cohort of 150 puerperae who underwent prenatal examinations and cesarean section in our hospital were randomized into a control group (n = 75) and a study group (n = 75). Anesthesia and analgesia were carried out using sufentanil alone in the control group and sufentanil plus dexmedetomidine in the study group. Measurements were made before anesthesia (T0), 5 minutes (T1) and 10 minutes (T2) after anesthesia, and immediately after delivery (T3) and after the end of surgery (T4).

Results: Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) decreased in both groups at T1 - T4 compared with T0, but were higher in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and levels of substance P (SP), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the study group were lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The beginning and duration of labor and the dose of analgesics within the 48-hour observation period were all lower in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Sufentanil plus dexmedetomidine can effectively maintain hemodynamic stability during cesarean section without marked changes in placental hypoxia-inducible factors and oxidative stress responses and has a limiting effect on the secretion of pain mediators.