Dexmedetomidine for Managing Delirium and Agitation in Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units: A Bibliometric...

Delirium affects almost one-third of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and is responsible for increased mortality, prolonged mechanical ventilation, and long-term cognitive dysfunction. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α₂-adrenoceptor agonist, offers sedation resembling natural sleep, provides opioid-sparing analgesia, and, unlike opioids, causes minimal respiratory depression. However, it carries risks like bradycardia and hypotension in sick patients. We performed a comprehensive search of the Scopus database from January 2015 to August 2025 and identified 120 relevant articles after applying a predefined inclusion criterion. We used validated software (VOS viewer and CiteSpace) to find out various bibliometric details like co-authorship, co-occurrence, citation, bibliographic coupling, and co-citation. The results of our analysis emphasize the evolving prominence of dexmedetomidine in ICU management of delirium and agitation. Strengths of this study include using two tools for analysis, leading to a robust network visualization. However, the limitations involve relying only on the Scopus database and a time frame of 10 years. This study fills an important research gap and suggests future collaborations and research priorities, advocating for well-designed trials to address gaps in safe and effective use of dexmedetomidine.