Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 7, 2025

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

4.6K

Dexmedetomidine Dosing to Prevent Pediatric Emergence Delirium

Alexander N Manning1, Leah K Bezzo2, Jamie K Hobson3

  • 1is a nurse anesthetist at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. He was a student in the Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia program at the Wake Forest School of Medicine at the time this article was written.

AANA Journal
|September 29, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Administering dexmedetomidine (anesthesia medication) during surgery significantly reduces emergence delirium in children. A 0.5 µg/kg IV dose intraoperatively is effective with minimal side effects.

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pediatric Anesthesia
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Emergence delirium is common in pediatric patients undergoing anesthesia.
  • Dexmedetomidine, a selective α2 agonist, shows potential for preventing emergence delirium.
  • Optimal protocols for dexmedetomidine use in pediatric anesthesia are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence on the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine for preventing emergence delirium in pediatric patients.
  • To identify best practices for dexmedetomidine administration in the perioperative setting.
  • To address barriers to dexmedetomidine use, including side effects and dosing.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of evidence.
  • Inclusion of 2,142 study participants aged 1 to 15 years.
  • Analysis of dexmedetomidine timing, method, and dosage.

Main Results:

  • Intraoperative intravenous bolus of 0.5 µg/kg dexmedetomidine significantly reduced emergence delirium.
  • Administration immediately after anesthesia induction showed benefits without delayed emergence.
  • Minimal side effects were observed with the recommended dosage and timing.

Conclusions:

  • Dexmedetomidine, particularly a 0.5 µg/kg IV intraoperative dose, is effective in preventing emergence delirium in pediatric patients.
  • This intervention can be safely administered without prolonging emergence from anesthesia.
  • Dexmedetomidine may also reduce the need for volatile anesthetic agents and analgesics.

Keywords:
Bolusdexmedetomidineemergence deliriumpediatricprevention

More Related Videos

Anesthesia and Intubation of Preadolescent Mouse Pups for Cardiothoracic Surgery09:47

Anesthesia and Intubation of Preadolescent Mouse Pups for Cardiothoracic Surgery

Published on: June 2, 2022

2.7K
Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation11:19

Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation

Published on: January 17, 2011

18.1K

Related Concept Videos

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...
134
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
131
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents01:17

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents

Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
371
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.
465
Determination of Multiple Dosing Parameters: Steady-State, Minimum and Maximum Concentrations01:15

Determination of Multiple Dosing Parameters: Steady-State, Minimum and Maximum Concentrations

Gentamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, is commonly administered via intermittent intravenous infusion to treat severe infections. An intermittent one-hour infusion of gentamicin, administered at eight-hour intervals, allows for precise control of plasma drug concentrations, minimizing toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy. Pharmacokinetic principles govern the dynamics of plasma concentrations and can be mathematically described using specific equations.The plasma drug concentration...
115
Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients01:15

Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients

Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
129