Emergence Agitation: Mechanism, Risk Factors, Assessment and Management

Abstract

The effects of emergence agitation (EA), also known as emergence delirium, can be clinically substantial. EA's mechanism is yet unknown.  Age, male sex, the type of surgery, an emergency procedure, the use of inhalational anesthetics with low bloodgas partition  coefficients, a lengthy procedure, anticholinergics, premedication with benzodiazepines, postoperative pain, and the presence of invasive  devices are among the proposed risk factors for EA. There are numerous tools available for evaluating EA. However, there are no  established best practices for clinical research. Preoperative instruction for surgery, parent-present induction, localized analgesia, multimodal analgesia, propofol, Nefopam, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, and opioid agonists, and total intravenous  anesthesia may all aid in preventing EA. However, it might be challenging to recognize high-risk patients and implement preventative  strategies in varied therapeutic settings. The techniques of studies and the patients evaluated affect the risk variables and outcomes of preventative interventions. In this review, we cover significant findings from EA research as well as prospective research directions.