Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effects of different doses of dexmedetomidine on post-surgical emergence agitation and oxidative stress in children

Baofeng Lou¹, Jing Ren²

¹Department of Anesthesiology; ²Ward 2, Department of Respiration, Weifang Second People's Hospital, Weifang 261042, China.

For correspondence:- Jing Ren Email: inj9is@163.com

Accepted: 28 September 2021 Published: 31 October 2021

Citation: Lou B, Ren J. Effects of different doses of dexmedetomidine on post-surgical emergence agitation and oxidative stress in children. Trop J Pharm Res 2021; 20(10):2193-2198 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v20i10.25

© 2021 The authors.
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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.

Keywords: Dexmedetomidine, Pediatric anesthesia, Post-surgical emergence agitation, Oxidative stress, Hemodynamics