Efficacy of dexmedetomidine versus midazolam plus fentanyl for sedation in mechanically ventilated children

This study has been designed to assess the efficacy of dexmedetomidine compared to the conventional midazolam plus fentanyl regimen for sedation in mechanically ventilated children. Adequate sedation and analgesia are essential in mechanically ventilated children to reduce agitation, ensure safety, and synchronize breathing with the ventilator. Midazolam plus fentanyl is widely used but associated with adverse events including bradycardia and hypotension. Dexmedetomidine, an alpha 2 adrenergic agonist with both sedative and analgesic properties and minimal respiratory depression, shows promise as an alternative. There is paucity of data on use of dexmedetomidine as first line sedative during mechanical ventilation in children. Few studies have shown the role of dexmedetomidine in sedation in reducing time duration of sedation and extubation duration and results have been promising. Therefore, through this study, we propose to evaluate efficacy of dexmedetomidine in children on mechanical ventilation admitted in pediatric intensive care unit as compared to midazolam plus fentanyl.