Abstract: Objective · To investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine combined with sufentanil in patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) of puerperae with severe preeclampsia after cesarean section. Methods · A total of 250 puerperae with severe preeclampsia who prepared to be treatedcesarean section were divided into observation group and control groupthe random number method with 125 cases in each group. They were given PCIA after operation. The PCIA formula for the observation group was dexmedetomidine combined sufentanil while that for the control group was sufentanil alone. The heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were compared between the two groups at different time points. Scores of visual analogue scale (VAS) and Ramsay sedation scale (RSS), the dosage of sufentanil and adverse drug reactions in both groups were recorded at 4, 8 and 24 hours after operation. Results · The HR and MAP of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group at 4, 8 and 24 hours after operation (all P<0.05). VAS scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group while RSS scores were significantly higher than those in the control group. The dosage of sufentanil was significantly less than that in the control group at 4, 8 and 24 hours after operation (all P<0.05). The incidence rates of nausea and vomiting in the observation group (12.80% and 7.20%) were significantly lower than those in the control group (32.00% and 16.00%) (all P<0.05). Conclusion · Compared with sufentanil alone, dexmedetomidine combined with sufentanil not only can significantly enhance the analgesic and sedative effects, but also can significantly reduce the dosage of sufentanil, and reduce adverse drug reactions in PCIA of puerperae with severe preeclampsia after cesarean section.

Key words: severe preeclampsia, dexmedetomidine, sufentanil, patient-controlled intravenous analgesia