Effect of a Single Dose Infusion of Dexmedetomidine in Reducing Incidence of Emergence Agitation After Nasal Surgery - a Randomised Contolled Trial

Emergence agitation (EA) or delirium is a post anesthesia complication which is manifested as confusion, agitation, disorientation and aggressive behavior. It can lead to serious consequences including hemorrhage, removal of lines, drains and catheters, self-extubation and even falling out of bed resulting in severe injuries. EA is associated with cognitive deficit, physical dependence, increased hospital stay and higher mortality.

There is wide variation in the incidence of EA in scientific literature ranging from 5 % to 27.3 %. There are no clear diagnostic criteria for EA because of its varied clinical manifestations. Although many risk factors have been identified including pain, presence of stress at the time of induction, induction with etomidate, use of premedication with benzodiazepines, hypoxemia, type of surgery, awakening in hostile and noisy environment and presence of urinary catheter. Patients undergoing nasal surgeries are in particular, at higher risk for EA due to a sense of suffocation secondary to nasal packing.

Various pharmacological interventions have been attempted previously to prevent postoperative EA with variable results. These include use of opioids, propofol, midazolam, ketamine, magnesium and alpha-2 agonists like clonidine and dexmedetomidine. Dexmedetomidine have been used with different dosages and different timings of administration with variable results and at the expense of major hemodynamic disturbances. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of single dose of dexmedetomidine (0.5 mcg/kg) administered as 30 minutes infusion prior to extubation in reducing the incidence and severity of EA and coughing on extubation.