Effect of Dexmedetomidine versus Propofol on Sevoflurane related Emergence Agitation in Paediatric Patients: A Randomised Clinical Study
Correspondence Address :
Dr. Rekha Krishnankutty,
Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology, Government Medical College, Kozhikode-673008, Kerala, India.
E-mail: drrekhakrish@gmail.com
Introduction: Postoperative Emergence Agitation (EA) is a troublesome side-effect of sevoflurane anaesthesia. Drugs like dexmedetomidine and propofol offer significant benefits in reducing the incidence and severity of sevoflurane-related postoperative EA in paediatric patients.
Aim: To compare the efficacy of intravenous dexmedetomidine and propofol in reducing the incidence and severity of EA associated with sevoflurane anaesthesia in paediatric patients.
Materials and Methods: A randomised clinical study was conducted on 140 patients, belonging to American Society of Anaesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA PS) classes I and II, aged between 2-6 years, undergoing infraumbilical surgery lasting more than one hour. The patients were divided into two equal groups receiving dexmedetomidine 0.3 μg/kg (Group SD) and propofol 1 mg/kg (Group SP) at the start of skin closure, administered over 10 minutes. The incidence of EA in the Post Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU) was evaluated using the Watcha scale, and the severity of EA was assessed using the Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale. A Watcha score of 3 or 4 indicated the presence of EA, while a PAED score of ≥12 was deemed significant. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using International Business Machines (IBM) Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0, with an Independent sample t-test for comparing normally distributed quantitative parameters, and the Chi-square test for comparing categorical outcomes between the study groups.
Results: The mean age of the patients in group SD was 4.19±0.78 years, and in group SP was 4.03±0.71 years. Both study groups were found to be comparable in terms of patient characteristics such as age, sex, weight, and duration of surgery (p-value >0.05). The incidence of postoperative EA, as measured by the Watcha scale, was higher in group SP compared to group SD upon arrival and up to 30 minutes in the PACU (p-value <0.001). The severity of EA, assessed using the PAED score, was greater in group SP compared to group SD at 0, 5, 10,15 and 20 minutes in the PACU (p-value <0.001).
Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine 0.3 μg/kg was more effective than propofol 1 mg/kg in reducing the incidence and severity of EA associated with sevoflurane anaesthesia, with minimal haemodynamic effects and no clinically relevant severe adverse effects in both the groups. The significantly prolonged extubation times observed in the propofol group did not result in significantly longer stays in the PACU.
Children, Delirium, Extubation, Restlessness, Sedative hypnotic
DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2024/68717.19374
Date of Submission: Nov 22, 2023
Date of Peer Review: Jan 11, 2024
Date of Acceptance: Mar 11, 2024
Date of Publishing: May 01, 2024
AUTHOR DECLARATION:
• Financial or Other Competing Interests: None
• Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? Yes
• Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? Yes
• For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. NA
PLAGIARISM CHECKING METHODS:
• Plagiarism X-checker: Nov 23, 2023
• Manual Googling: Feb 05, 2024
• iThenticate Software: Mar 08, 2024 (00%)
ETYMOLOGY: Author Origin
EMENDATIONS: 7
- Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science, thomsonreuters)
- Index Copernicus ICV 2017: 134.54
- Academic Search Complete Database
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
- Embase
- EBSCOhost
- Google Scholar
- HINARI Access to Research in Health Programme
- Indian Science Abstracts (ISA)
- Journal seek Database
- Popline (reproductive health literature)
- www.omnimedicalsearch.com