Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 20, 2025
Short-Duration Hypothermia Induction in Rats using Models for Studies examining Clinical Relevance and Mechanisms
Published on: March 3, 2021
Clonidine for sedation in infants during therapeutic hypothermia with neonatal encephalopathy: pilot study
Estelle B Gauda1,2, Raul Chavez-Valdez3,4, Frances J Northington3,4
1Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Estelle.gauda@sickkids.ca.
Objective:
To determine a safe dose of clonidine (CLON) to be used in infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) undergoing therapeutic hypothermia (TH).
Study Design:
A pilot prospective study was performed to determine the effect of CLON on autonomic parameters, the pharmacokinetics (PK) of CLON, and the amount of morphine (MOR) given "as needed" for shivering and agitation in a cohort of infants (n = 12) with HIE undergoing TH compared to a historical control group (n = 28).
Results:
The CLON group received less "as needed" MOR than the MOR-only group for agitation/shivering (p < 0.001), and the CLON vs. MOR-only group spent 92% vs. 79% of cooling time at the target core body temperature (CBT; p = 0.03, CLON vs. MOR).
Conclusions:
Intravenous CLON (1 mcg/kg Q8h) is well tolerated in infants treated with TH for HIE. CLON stabilizes CBT in the ideal range during cooling, which may be optimal for neuroprotection.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents
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...
01:23Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...