Addition of Dexmedetomidine Can Reduce Amount of Anesthetic Drug Needed, Study Finds

For patients undergoing surgery, using dexmedetomidine as an additional sedating agent can reduce the necessary doses of other anesthetic drugs, according to a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia, the official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

Researchers analyzed 60 patients undergoing surgery and anesthesia with two widely used intravenous anesthetic drugs — propofol and remifentanil. Patients were randomly assigned to also receive the sedative dexmedetomidine or an inactive placebo.

The study found that the amounts of anesthetic drugs needed to induce anesthesia were significantly lower in patients receiving dexmedetomidine. The propofol induction dose was 30 percent lower and the remifentanil induction dose 25 percent lower, compared to the doses in patients receiving placebo. The study also found evidence of an analgesic effect of dexmedetomidine.

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