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

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