Dexmedetomidine
Anxiolytic, sedative, and pain medication
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Key Takeaways
- Dexmedetomidine , sold under the brand name Precedex among others, is a medication used for sedation.
- It is also used in humans to treat acute agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
- Similar to clonidine, dexmedetomidine is a sympatholytic drug that acts as an agonist of α 2 -adrenergic receptors in certain parts of the brain.
- Medical uses Intensive care unit sedation Studies suggest dexmedetomidine for sedation in mechanically ventilated adults may reduce time to extubation and ICU stay.
- However, this finding is not consistent across multiple studies.
Dexmedetomidine, sold under the brand name Precedex among others, is a medication used for sedation. Veterinarians use dexmedetomidine for similar purposes in treating cats, dogs, and horses. It is also used in humans to treat acute agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It is administered as an intravenous solution or as a buccal or sublingual film.
Similar to clonidine, dexmedetomidine is a sympatholytic drug that acts as an agonist of α2-adrenergic receptors in certain parts of the brain. It was developed by Orion Pharma.
Medical uses
Intensive care unit sedation
Studies suggest dexmedetomidine for sedation in mechanically ventilated adults may reduce time to extubation and ICU stay.
Compared with other sedatives, some studies suggest dexmedetomidine may be associated with less delirium. However, this finding is not consistent across multiple studies. At the very least, when aggregating many study results together, use of dexmedetomidine appears to be associated with less neurocognitive dysfunction compared to other sedatives. Whether this observation has a beneficial psychological impact is unclear. From an economic perspective, dexmedetomidine is associated with lower ICU costs, largely due to a shorter time to extubation.
Procedural sedation
Dexmedetomidine can also be used for procedural sedation such as during colonoscopy. It can be used as an adjunct with other sedatives like benzodiazepines, opioids, and propofol to enhance sedation and help maintain hemodynamic stability by decreasing the requirement of other sedatives. Dexmedetomidine is also used for procedural sedation in children.
It can be used for sedation required for awake fibreoptic nasal intubation in patients with a difficult airway.
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