To investigate the effects of postoperative analgesia with Dexmedetomidine combined with Sufentanil on pulmonary infection complications and immune function in patients with lung cancer.

A total of 200 patients with lung cancer who underwent radical lung cancer in our hospital from July 2014 to June 2018 were randomly divided into the group A(n=100, receiving Sufentanil analgesia)and group B(n=100, receiving Sufentanil combined with Dexmedetomidine analgesia)according to the random number table method.The analgesic effect, pulmonary complication incidence and immune function were compared between the two groups.

The analgesic and sedative effects were better in the group B than in the group A at 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours after surgery, respectively(P<0.05). The visual analogue scale(VAS)and Ramesay score had statistically significant differences between the two groups at 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours after surgery, respectively(VAS: t=4.137, 2.575, 3.869, 12.676 and 9.945, all P<0.05; Ramesay score: t=6.771, 5.647, 16.763, 21.154 and 6.556, all P<0.05). The pulmonary infection, acute lung injury, focal lung infiltration, atelectasis and respiratory failure occurred in 1, 0, 1, 1 and 0 case in the group B and 3, 2, 3, 1 and 1 case in the group A, respectively.The incidence of pulmonary complications was lower in the group B than in the group A(3% or 3/100 vs.10% or 10/100, χ²=4.031, P=0.045). There were no significant difference in the levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ cells before surgery between the two groups(P>0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ cells were higher in group B than in group A at 1 day after surgery(t=7.419, 7.867, 11.968 and 8.755, P=0.000).

Postoperative Dexmedetomidine combined with Sufentanil analgesia not only helps to reduce the incidence of pulmonary complications, but also improves the analgesic effect and immune function in patients with lung cancer undergoing radical surgery.

Lung neoplasms; Dexmedetomidine; Sufentanil; Anesthesia and analgesia