Dexmedetomidine hydrochloride may be useful for sedation in dental treatment, according to a new report published in Anesthesia Progress. Sedation is commonly induced with propofol, but use of this agent is often marked by high respiratory depression, and the sedative actions are less sleeplike than is preferable. In an attempt to determine a reasonable alternative, the authors of the current study compared the effects of propofol with those of dexmedetomidine hydrochloride. Fourteen patients scheduled for surgery at Matsumoto Dental University Hospital in Nagano, Japan, were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group received propofol, the other received dexmedetomidine hydrochloride. Blood pressure, heart rate, arterial blood oxygen saturation, and the bispectral index (BIS) were measured initially for control and then at prescribed intervals through-out the treatment. Patients also filled out a questionnaire the day after treatment to determine memory presence or absence both at the injection of local anesthesia and at the start of treatment, and to determine the comfort of sedation. No significant differences were noted between the 2 groups in any of the parameters; but, the group given dexmedetomidine hydrochloride was marked by hemodynamic changes, and therefore close monitoring is recommended. Yet, evaluation methods other than the BIS must be developed because this method makes it difficult to evaluate intraoperative sedation levels.
(Source: Anesthesia Progress, July-September 2009, Allen Press)
