Comparison of Oral Moxonidine versus Clonidine in Adults Undergoing General Anaesthesia: A Double-blinded Randomised Controlled Study

Introduction: Anxiolysis helps in reducing perioperative adverse events. Clonidine is an established anxiolytic premedication but Moxonidine with a similar mechanism, has not been explored for the same. Moxonidine is an imidazoline receptor agonist which plays a significant role in modulating anxiety and stress response. Aim: To evaluate the anxiolytic action of 0.2 mg oral Moxonidine versus 0.1 mg oral Clonidine given as premedication to adults undergoing general anaesthesia for elective surgeries. Materials and Methods: A randomised double-blinded controlled study was conducted at the Department of Anaesthesiology, N F Railway Central Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India from January 2024 to December 2024 on a sample size of 44 patients aged 30 to 55 years, further divided into 2 groups-Group M (n=22) who received 0.2 mg Moxonidine and Group C (n=22) who received 0.1 mg Clonidine. In the preoperative period, the anxiety score calculated using Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS), Heart Rate (HR), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP), Respiration Rate (RR), Oxygen Saturation (SpO2 ) measured before and 90 minutes after administration of the drug. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 and a p-value