The effects of intranasal dexmedetomidine premedication in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Intranasal dexmedetomidine premedication is a newly introduced method for reducing stress and anxiety before general anesthesia in children. We performed a meta-analysis to identify the effects of intranasal dexmedetomidine premedication in children.

We conducted a systematic review to find published randomized-controlled trials using intranasal dexmedetomidine as premedication. We searched databases in EMBASE™, MEDLINE®, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register using the Ovid platform. This study was conducted based on the Cochrane Review Methods.

This review included 1,168 participants in 13 studies. Intranasal dexmedetomidine premedication provided more satisfactory sedation at parent separation (relative risk [RR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19 to 1.76; P = 0.0002; I² = 80%) than other premedication regimes. In addition, it reduced the need for rescue analgesics (RR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.83; P = 0.003; I² = 0%). Nevertheless, there were no differences in sedation at mask induction (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.59; P = 0.08; I² =71%) or in the incidence of emergence delirium (RR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.24 to 1.13; P = 0.10; I² = 67%). Intranasal dexmedetomidine was associated with a significantly lower incidence of nasal irritation (RR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.36; P = 0.003; I² = 0%) and postoperative nausea and vomiting (RR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.99; P = 0.04; I² = 0%) than other premedication treatments. It also showed significantly lower systolic blood pressure (weighted mean difference [WMD], −6.7 mmHg; 95% CI, −10.5 to −2.9; P = 0.0006; I² = 96%) and heart rate (WMD, −6.8 beats·min⁻¹; 95% CI, −11.3 to −2.6; P = 0.002; I² = 98%).

Intranasal dexmedetomidine provided more satisfactory sedation at parent separation and reduced the need for rescue analgesics and the incidence of nasal irritation and postoperative nausea and vomiting when compared with other premedication treatments.