Dexmedetomidine Use in Pediatric Intensive Care and Procedural Sedation

Abstract

Dexmedetomidine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1999 for the sedation of adults receiving mechanical ventilation in an intensive care setting. It provides sedation with minimal effects on respiratory function and may be used prior to, during, and following extubation. Based on its efficacy in adults, dexmedetomidine is now being explored as an alternative or adjunct to benzodiazepines and opioids in the pediatric intensive care setting. This review describes the studies evaluating the safety and efficacy dexmedetomidine in infants and children and provides recommendations on dosing and monitoring. The MEDLINE (1950-November 2009) database was searched for pertinent abstracts, using the key term dexmedetomidine. Additional references were obtained from the bibliographies of the articles reviewed and the manufacturer. All available English-language case reports, clinical trials, retrospective studies, and review articles were evaluated. Over two dozen case series and clinical studies have documented the utility of dexmedetomidine as a sedative in children requiring mechanical ventilation or procedural sedation. In several papers, dexmedetomidine use resulted in a reduction in the dose or discontinuation of other sedative agents. It may be of particular benefit in children with neurologic impairment or in those who do not tolerate benzodiazepines. The most frequent adverse effects reported with dexmedetomidine have been hypotension and bradycardia, in 10% to 20% of patients. These effects typically resolve with dose reduction. Dexmedetomidine offers an additional choice for the sedation of children receiving mechanical ventilation in the intensive care setting or requiring procedural sedation. While dexmedetomidine is well tolerated when used at recommended doses, it has the potential to cause hypotension and bradycardia and requires close monitoring. In addition to clinical trials currently underway, larger controlled studies are needed to further define the role of dexmedetomidine in pediatric intensive care.