Dexmedetomidine
Dexmedetomidine
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Dexmedetomidine

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Dexmedetomidine

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.

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.

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.

It has also been used as an adjunct infusion during general anesthesia. In this application, it has been shown to decrease post-operative delirium, pain, nausea and opioid use.

Dexmedetomidine may be useful for the treatment of the negative cardiovascular effects of acute amphetamines and cocaine intoxication and overdose. Dexmedetomidine has also been used as an adjunct to neuroaxial anesthesia for lower limb procedures. It has been successfully used to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms.

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