DOI: 10.1177/17504589241231197 ISSN: 1750-4589

Efficacy of intratracheal dexmedetomidine on recovery from general anaesthesia in paediatric patients undergoing lower abdominal surgeries: A randomised controlled trial

Marwa Mahmoud Abdel Rady, Wesam Nashat Ali, Fatma Batity Mansour, Ekram Abdullah Othman, Ghada Mohammad Abo Elfadl
  • Medical–Surgical Nursing
  • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
  • Surgery

Background:

This study investigated the effectiveness of intratracheal dexmedetomidine in reducing untoward laryngeal responses in paediatrics undergoing lower abdominal surgeries.

Methods:

This trial included 60 patients divided into two groups scheduled for lower abdominal surgeries. Group D were given intratracheal dexmedetomidine at a dosage of 0.5mg/kg, while Group C received intratracheal saline (0.9%). The cough severity score, the Paediatric Objective Pain Scale for pain assessment, awareness, extubation, emergence agitation score, Ramsay sedation score and adverse effects were recorded.

Results:

There was a significant difference in the incidence of coughing severity between Groups D and C both at extubation and after five minutes of extubation (p < 0.001). The median scores of the Paediatric Objective Pain Scales and the median agitation scales of Group D were significantly lower over the first four hours (p < 0.050). The mean time to first request rescue analgesia was significantly longer in the D group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The mean total consumption of rescue analgesia in the first 24 hours postoperatively was significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group (p < 0.050). Awareness and extubation times were comparable in both groups, and none of the subjects reported any adverse effects.

Conclusion:

In the current study, lower abdominal surgery patients who received intratracheal dexmedetomidine at a dose of 0.5mg/kg 30 minutes before the completion of the procedure experienced smooth extubation and balanced anaesthetic recovery.