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Effects of different doses of dexmedetomidine on postsurgical emergence agitation and oxidative stress in children


Baofeng Lou
Jing Ren

Abstract

Purpose: To study the effects of various dexmedetomidine (DEX) doses on post-surgical emergence agitation (EA) and oxidative stress in children.
Methods: At various times, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were measured: prior to anesthesia (T0), during intubation (T1), at onset of operation (T2), and at the end of surgery (T3). The incidence of post-surgical EA was estimated, and the extent of agitation were determined based on pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium (PAED). Post-surgical pain was determined using facial pain scale (FPS). Serum levels of cortisol (Cor), epinephrine (E), and norepinephrine (NE) were quantified at T0 and T3. Extubation time and awakening time, as well as postoperative complications were recorded.
Results: At T1, T2 and T3, levels of HR and MAP were significantly increased in all three groups, when compared to the corresponding values at T0, with group C having peak values, followed by A and B. Group B had a lower incidence of EA than groups A and C, but EA incidence was lower in group A than in group C. The lowest scores for PAED and FPS were in group B (p < 0.05). Blood levels of Cor, E and NE at T0 were comparable amongst the three groups. However, at T3, serum levels of these parameters were lower in group B than in each of the other 2 groups.
Conclusion: At a dose of 0.5 μg/kg, DEX effectively reduces the incidence of post-surgical EA, improves hemodynamics, and alleviates oxidative stress responses in pediatric anesthesia.


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eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996