• Anthony R Plunkett, Cynthia Shields, Alex Stojadinovic, and Chester C Buckenmaier.
• Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20307, USA.
• Mil Med. 2009 Jan 1; 174 (1): 100-2.

UnlabelledDexmedetomidine (DEX) is an alpha-2 receptor agonist with sedative and analgesic properties. It has been reported to preserve the patient's ability to cooperate and provide opioid sparing properties. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have demonstrated an increased risk for oxygen desaturation following general anesthesia. We report a case of a 64-year-old male, ASA IV with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, OSA, unilateral vocal cord dysfunction, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, and congestive heart failure undergoing an awake thyroidectomy under local anesthesia and a DEX infusion. The patient was given a loading dose of DEX of 1 mcg/kg and an infusion ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 g/kg/hr. He received a total of 250 mcg of fentanyl and 7.5 mg of ketorolac throughout the case.ResultsThe patient tolerated the procedure well. He was able to cooperate with simple commands. His vital signs remained stable. He reported a pain score of 2 out of 10 in the recovery unit.ConclusionsThis case demonstrates the successful use of a DEX infusion along with local anesthesia administered by the surgeon for an awake thyroidectomy.

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