Prolonged infusion of dexmedetomidine for sedation following tracheal resection

Dexmedetomidine is a centrally acting alpha-2 adrenergic agonist that is currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for short-term use (< or = 24 h) to provide sedation in adults in the ICU. This drug has been shown to be efficacious in adult medical and surgical patients in providing sedation, anxiolysis, and analgesia. Dexmedetomidine has been associated with rapid onset and offset, hemodynamic stability, and a natural, sleep-like state in mechanically ventilated adults. To date, there are few publications of the use of this drug in children, and prolonged infusion has not been described. We report our use of dexmedetomidine in a child during a 4-day period of mechanical ventilation following tracheal reconstruction for subglottic stenosis.