[Efficacy of clonidine in paediatric anaesthesia]

Clonidine is a mixed alpha (2)-/alpha (1)- adrenoceptor agonist. It decreases sympathetic tone and increases parasympathetic tone, which results in a lowering of blood pressure and heart rate. It was introduced as an antihypertensive medication in the late sixties. Yet Clonidine also has a sedative effect due to alpha (2)-adrenoceptor stimulation in the locus coeruleus and antinociceptive action caused through postjunctional noradrenergic pathways in the brainstem and spinal cord. This analgesic property of Clonidine has raised broad interest in its beneficial use in anaesthesiology. In adults and pediatric anaesthesia, clonidine can be safely and effectively used for premedication, intraoperative and postoperative analgesia, postoperative shivering, and for analgo-sedation in intensive care. This article will consider possible indications of Clonidine in children's anaesthesia and intensive care medicine.