• Fuminori Tobise, Yuki Toyosmima, and Shin Kawana.
• Department of Anesthesia, Hokkaido Chirdren's Medical Center, Otaru.
• Masui. 2007 Apr 1;56(4):409-13.

BackgroundDexmedetomidine (DEX), a highly selective alpha2-adrenergic receptor agonist, has sedative and analgesic properties with minimal respiratory depression. We retrospectively evaluated the hemodynamic effects of dexmedetomidine in pediatric patients following cardiac surgery.MethodsThe subjects were twenty children aged 4 months to 15 years who had undergone cardiac surgery. After hemodynamics were stabilized in ICU, DEX was infused at a rate of 0.3-0.5 microg x kg(-1) min(-1), following initial loading (0.5 microg x kg(-1) over 10 min). Heart rate and blood pressure were analyzed just before starting infusion, following 1, 3, 6 hours during infusion, and at the end of the infusion.ResultsThere was no change in blood pressure during measurement. HR was slightly decreased during DEX infusion but not significantly. After discontinuation of DEX, HR was significantly increased from 109 +/- 17 to 124 +/- 19 beats x min(-1) (mean +/- SD) (P < 0.05). Two patients were excluded from the study, because clinically significant bradycardia developed during DEX infusion.ConclusionsDEX had little effect on blood pressure in patients after cardiac surgery. DEX, however, had a tendency to decrease HR. Therefore, it shoud be used with caution in patients with low heart rate.

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