Emergence agitation in pediatrics after dexmedetomidine vs. sevoflurane anesthesia: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction Emergence agitation remains a problem that occurs in pediatric anesthesia. As cleft surgeries constitute one of the most common craniofacial surgeries encountered, majority of the children receive general anesthesia using high dose opioids and inhalation anesthetics and experience emergence agitation. Dexmedetomidine (DEX), an alpha-2 adrenoreceptor agonist possesses anxiolytic, sedative and analgetic properties and have been documented to reduce the incidence of postoperative agitation. Hence, this study aims to compare the incidence of emergence agitation between the use of intravenous DEX versus Sevoflurane (SEVO) anesthesia. Methods This study selected one hundred twenty-one patients ages 3 months to 10 years with ASA 1 and 2 physical status scheduled to undergo elective cleft lip or cleft palate repair with general anesthesia. Before surgery, all patients were assessed preoperatively and subjects were divided into two groups using a computer-generated randomizer with 59 subjects selected as Dexmedetomidine group; and 62 subjects as Sevoflurane group. Extubation time, recovery time and emergence agitation scale were compared between the two groups. Results This study found no significant difference in the extubation time between DEX and SEVO group (p = 0.317). The recovery time or time to attain full consciousness was statistically longer in the DEX group: 60 minutes as compared to 52 minutes in the SEVO group (p = 0.007). Emergence agitation assessed using Cravero score found that subjects from DEX group had an average Cravero score of 2.5; while SEVO group had an average Cravero score of 3.9 (p = < 0.001). The incidence of agitation was significantly higher in the SEVO group compared to the DEX group: 82% as compared to 10% (p = < 0.001) with an OR of 40.955 CI 95% (14.098–118.9). Conclusions Dexmedetomidine significantly reduces the incidence of emergence agitation without prolonging extubation time in pediatric patients undergoing cleft lip and cleft palate surgery.