Nursing forum
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Dexmedetomidine is increasingly being used as a sedative for monitored anesthesia care (MAC) with regional anesthesia. This literature review critiques 12 studies that used dexmedetomidine as the primary anesthetic. Study designs include prospective, retrospective case studies and randomized double-blind and randomized single-blind studies. ⋯ Dexmedetomidine is an effective MAC anesthetic for specific procedures. Further research is needed to determine which specific procedures are appropriate for dexmedetomidine. Lastly, dexmedetomidine is more costly than current MAC anesthetics, making it difficult to justify its use.