Comparison Between Dexmedetomidine and Propofol for Sedation on Outcomes After Cardiac Surgery in Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized-Control Trials

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare outcomes between dexmedetomidine and propofol for sedation after cardiac surgery in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. This meta-analysis was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Online databases, including EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library, were comprehensively searched to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine and propofol in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and requiring mechanical ventilation. The examined outcomes included the mean length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay in hours, duration of mechanical ventilation in hours, length of hospital stay in days, and number of patients diagnosed with delirium. A total of 14 studies were included in the present meta-analysis while 1360 patients undergoing cardiac surgery were involved in these studies. Pooled results showed that the duration of mechanical ventilation was lower in the dexmedetomidine group compared to the propofol group (mean difference (MD): 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06-1.44, p-value: 0.03). We also found a significantly low length of stay in ICU in the dexmedetomidine group compared to the propofol (MD: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.04-1.74, p-value: 0.04). The length of hospital stay was also significantly lower in patients receiving dexmedetomidine as compared to the propofol group (MD: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.32-0.70, p-value<0.001). Risk of delirium was significantly higher in patients receiving propofol compared to patients receiving dexmedetomidine (RR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.48-2.74, p-value<0.001). In conclusion, our meta-analysis provides evidence of the beneficial impacts of dexmedetomidine on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Dexmedetomidine was associated with a significant reduction in the duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital, and the risk of delirium.

Comparison of oxygen reserve index according to the remimazolam or dexmedetomidine for intraoperative sedation under regional anesthesia—A single-blind randomized controlled trial

“…Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a relatively safe drug with weak respiratory depression effects and is currently widely used in clinical practice ( 6 , 7 ). As an alpha-2 agonist, it induces a sleep pattern similar to physiological sleep ( 8 ).…”

Exploring the Hemodynamic and Post-Operative Implications: A Comparative Analysis of Intravenous Sedation With Dexmedetomidine Versus Propofol in Cardiac Surgical Procedures

“…Propofol, another intravenous anesthetic agent, finds its well-established niche in the induction and maintenance of anesthesia. Its documented use in cardiac surgery induction, marked by doses ranging from 1.0 to 2.5 mg/kg, has been associated with significant hypotension in various studies (Kunisawa et al, 2011;Sattar et al, 2023;Sheikh et al, 2018). This study aims to improve our understanding of the effects of dexmedetomidine and propofol infusions on hemodynamic responses during cardiac surgeries.…”