Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Acquisition of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data in the Rat
12:41

Acquisition of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data in the Rat

Published on: August 28, 2021

A randomised comparison of two intranasal dexmedetomidine doses for premedication in children

V M Yuen1, T W Hui, M G Irwin

  • 1Department of Anaesthesiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. vtang131@hku.hk

Anaesthesia
|September 7, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Intranasal dexmedetomidine effectively sedated children before anesthesia. A 2 μg.kg(-1) dose showed superior results in older children (5-8 years) compared to younger ones (1-4 years).

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Anesthesiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Sedation is crucial for pediatric anesthesia induction.
  • Intranasal dexmedetomidine offers a non-invasive route for pre-anesthetic medication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy of two different doses of intranasal dexmedetomidine for pediatric sedation.
  • To evaluate the impact of age on sedation levels following intranasal dexmedetomidine administration.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, randomized trial involving 116 children aged 1-8 years.
  • Children received either 1 μg.kg(-1) (Group 1) or 2 μg.kg(-1) (Group 2) of intranasal dexmedetomidine.
  • Sedation levels were assessed at anesthetic induction; logistic regression analyzed age-specific effects.

Main Results:

  • Overall satisfactory sedation rates were 53% (Group 1) and 66% (Group 2).
  • A significant age interaction was observed (p=0.049).
  • The 2 μg.kg(-1) dose showed significantly better sedation in 5-8 year olds (OR 10.5) compared to 1-4 year olds (OR 1.1), with no adverse hemodynamic effects.

Conclusions:

  • Intranasal dexmedetomidine at 2 μg.kg(-1) provides excellent sedation for pediatric premedication.
  • The 2 μg.kg(-1) dose is particularly effective for sedating older children (5-8 years) prior to anesthesia.

Related Concept Videos

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview01:20

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...
Drug Delivery: Enteral Route01:18

Drug Delivery: Enteral Route

The enteral drug administration involves three primary routes: oral, sublingual, and buccal. Oral ingestion is the most prevalent, safe, economical, and convenient method for drug administration. However, it has certain drawbacks, including limited absorption due to the drug's low water solubility or poor membrane permeability, possible emesis from GI mucosa irritation, destruction of drugs by digestive enzymes or low gastric pH, and irregular absorption along with food or other drugs.
Drugs in...
Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics01:19

Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics

Depolarizing blockers are administered through intravenous injection. Succinylcholine is the most common choice of depolarizing blockers in emergency clinical practices. Although they have a rapid onset, they readily diffuse away from the motor end plate into the extracellular fluid. They are metabolized by enzymes such as liver butyrylcholinesterase and plasma pseudocholinesterases. This produces a short duration of action, typically 5-10 minutes long, unlike nondepolarizing blockers, which...