Dexmedetomidine is effective for sedating preterm and full-term neonates and is well-tolerated without significant AEs. Preterm neonates had decreased plasma clearance and longer elimination half-life.

This preliminary, observational report suggests that dexmedetomidine may have a potential therapeutic role in the acute phase of perioperative atrial and junctional tachyarrhythmias for either HR control or conversion to NSR.

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Background Postoperative tachyarrhythmias remain a common complication after congenital cardiac surgery. A recent case-series has shown that dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 adrenoreceptor agonist can have a therapeutic role in supraventricular tachyarrhythmias for either cardioversion to sinus rhythm or heart rate control. The present study was performed to determine if routine perioperative use of dexmedetomidine can decrease the incidence of supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Methods Prospective cohort study of pediatric patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery. Thirty-two patients who were initiated on dexmedetomidine infusion (DEX-group) before surgery were compared with 20 patients who did not receive dexmedetomidine (control-group). Results Dexmedetomidine was started after anesthesia induction and continued through surgery and postoperative period for 38±4 hours at a mean dose of 0.76 ±0.04 mcg/kg/hr. Ten patients in control-group and 2 in DEX-group (p=0.001) had a total of 16 episodes of tachyarrhythmias. The incidence of ventricular tachycardia was 25% vs.0% (p=0.01) and of supraventricular arrhythmias 25% vs. 6% (p=0.05) in the control and DEX-group respectively. Two patients in the control-group and 1 in the Dex-group had transient complete heart block. Control-group had a higher heart rate 141 ± 5 vs.127 ±3 bpm (p=0.03), more sinus tachycardia episodes 40% vs. 6% (p=0.008), required more antihypertensives with nitroprusside 20 ± 7 vs.4 ± 1 mcg/kg (p=0.004) and nicardipine 13 ± 5 vs.2 ± 1 mcg/kg (p=0.02) and required more fentanyl 39 ± 8 vs.19 ± 3 mcg/kg (p=0.005). Conclusions Perioperative use of dexmedetomidine is associated with significantly decreased incidence of ventricular and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias without significant adverse effects.

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Dexmedetomidine use in infants and neonates after cardiac surgery was well tolerated in both intubated and nonintubated patients. It provides an adequate level of sedation/analgesia either alone or in combination with low-dose conventional agents.

ECMO was successfully used in children with cardiac disease with 73% and 66% short- and intermediate-term survival, respectively. The majority of the survivors had normal function or only a minimal neurodevelopmental deficit.

Introduction Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α2-adrenoceptor agonist with sedative, anxiolytic and analgesic properties that has minimal effects on respiratory drive. Its sedative and hypotensive effects are mediated via central α2A and imidazoline type 1 receptors while activation of peripheral α2B–adrenoceptors result in an increase in arterial blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance (SVR). In this randomized, prospective, clinical study we attempted to quantify the short-term hemodynamic effects resulting from a rapid IV bolus administration of dexmedetomidine in pediatric cardiac transplant patients. Methods Twelve patients, aged ≤10 years of age, weighing ≤40kg, presenting for routine surveillance of right and left heart cardiac catheterization after cardiac transplantation were enrolled. After an inhaled or IV induction, the tracheas were intubated and anesthesia was maintained with 1 minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane in room air, fentanyl (1mcg/kg) and rocuronium (1mg/kg). At the completion of the planned cardiac catheterization, 100% oxygen was administered. After recording a set of baseline values that included heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, central venous pressure, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, diastolic pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary artery wedge pressure and thermodilution-based cardiac output, a rapid IV dexmedetomidine bolus of either 0.25mcg/kg or 0.5mcg/kg was administered over 5 seconds. The hemodynamic measurements were repeated at 1 min and 5 mins. Results There were 6 patients in each group. Investigation suggested that systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, diastolic pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary artery wedge pressure and systemic vascular resistance all increased at 1 minute after rapid IV bolus for both doses, and decreased significantly to near baseline for both doses by 5 minutes. The transient increase in pressures was more pronounced in the systemic system than in the pulmonary system. In the systemic system there was a larger percent increase in the diastolic pressures than the systolic pressures. Cardiac output, CVP and pulmonary vascular resistance did not change significantly. HR decreased at 1 min for both doses and was, within the 0.5 mcg/kg group, the only hemodynamic variable still changed from baseline at the 5 min time point Conclusion Rapid IV bolus administration of dexmedetomidine in this small sample of children having undergone heart transplants was clinically well tolerated, although it resulted in a transient but significant increase in systemic and pulmonary pressure and a decrease in HR. In the systemic system there is a larger percent increase in the diastolic pressures than the systolic pressures, and furthermore these transient increases in pressures were more pronounced in the systemic system than in the pulmonary system.