Using Lidocaine or Dexmedetomidine to Help Control Blood Pressure Spikes From a Tourniquet During Knee Surgery

Knee pain is very common, and more people are having minor knee surgeries done through a small camera (arthroscopy), often as outpatients. During these surgeries, a device called a tourniquet is used to reduce bleeding by stopping blood flow to the leg. However, this can sometimes cause a sharp rise in blood pressure-a condition known as tourniquet-induced hypertension (TIH), which happens in about 67% of patients under general anesthesia. this study looked at two different drugs-Dexmedetomidine and Lidocaine- to see which one works better in preventing this blood pressure rise during surgery. Dexmedetomidine is a medicine that calms the nervous system and helps lower blood pressure and pain, but it can sometimes cause side effects like a slow heart rate and low blood pressure. Lidocaine, commonly used to numb pain, also helps with inflammation and controlling pain sensitivity. In this study, both drugs helped reduce TIH, but Dexmedetomidine was more effective. However, it came with more side effects compared to Lidocaine.