THE USE OF DEXMEDETOMIDINE IN REDUCING THE SYMPTOMS OF DELIRIUM AND PSYCHOMOTOR AGITATION POST-ANESTHESIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66104/vrr9wh31Keywords:
Therapeutics; Anesthesia; Psychomotor Agitation.Abstract
Introduction: Postoperative delirium and psychomotor agitation are frequent complications after anesthesia, associated with worse clinical outcomes. Dexmedetomidine has been proposed as a pharmacological strategy for the prevention and control of these events. Objective: To evaluate whether the use of dexmedetomidine reduces the incidence of delirium and psychomotor agitation in patients during the perioperative period. Methods: This is a systematic review of interventions, conducted according to PRISMA recommendations. The search was carried out in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, BVS, ScienceDirect, and LIVIVO databases in January 2026. Randomized clinical trials and cohort studies published in the last 20 years were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: Seven studies were included in the final synthesis. It was observed that dexmedetomidine was associated with a reduction in psychomotor agitation and delirium, especially in pediatric populations and in an intensive care environment. The most frequent adverse effects were bradycardia and hypotension, generally mild. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine shows potential benefit in reducing delirium and psychomotor agitation in the perioperative period. However, the heterogeneity of the studies indicates the need for additional clinical trials to confirm these findings.
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