EFFICACY OF DEXMEDETOMIDINE IN REDUCING EMERGENCE AGITATION AFTER SEVOFLURANE ANAESTHESIA IN INDIAN PAEDIATRIC POPULATION

Banerjee Anusua; Ray Manjushree; Bhattacharya Chiranjib

Volume : IV, Issue : VII, July - 2015

EFFICACY OF DEXMEDETOMIDINE IN REDUCING EMERGENCE AGITATION AFTER SEVOFLURANE ANAESTHESIA IN INDIAN PAEDIATRIC POPULATION

Banerjee Anusua, Ray Manjushree, Bhattacharya Chiranjib

Abstract :

Background: Emergence agitation is an undesirable, yet a very common phenomenon after sevoflurane anaesthesia in paediatric patients. Aim of the present study was to find out the effect of dexmedetomidine infusion on the incidence and severity of emergence agitation following sevoflurane anaesthesia in paediatric population. Materials & Methods: Eighty four children aged 2–7 years undergoing infraumblical surgeries under sevoflurane based anaesthesia were included in this randomized prospective study. Children were allocated in two groups to receive either 0.5 �g. kg–1. dexmedetomidine or normal saline as slow infusion over a period of 10 minutes before termination of anaesthesia. Statistical Analysis: The numerical variables were compared using Student�s unpaired T–test and other variables were compared using MannWhitney u test. Statistical analysis was done using standard statistical software : Statistica version 6 [Tulsa, Oklahoma: StatSoft Inc., 2001], SPSS Statistics version 17 [Illinois, Chicago: SPSS Inc., 2008],Graph Prism version 4 [San Diego, California: GraphPad Software Inc., 2005]. Results & Conclusion: Only 12% children in the dexmedetomidine group developed emergence agitation as compared to 57% in the control group. Agitation scores were significantly lower in dexmedetomidine group compared to control group (1.69�0.92 vs 2.7�1.1). Single dose dexmedetomidine was found to be effective in reducing emergence agitation after sevoflurane anaesthesia in paediatric patients.