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MONDAY, March 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Low-dose dexmedetomidine significantly reduces delirium in critically ill adults, according to a study published online March 2 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Yoanna Skrobik, M.D., from McGill University in Montreal, and colleagues randomized 100 delirium-free, critically ill adults receiving sedatives to receive nocturnal intravenous dexmedetomidine (0.2 mcg\/kg\/min) or placebo until discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). Effect on delirium and sleep was assessed.<\/p>\n
The researchers found that nocturnal dexmedetomidine was associated with a greater proportion of patients who remained delirium-free during the ICU stay (relative risk, 0.44; P = 0.006). However, the average Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire score was similar between the two groups. The groups also had similar incidence of hypotension, bradycardia, or both.<\/p>\n
“To our knowledge, this study, that suggests that the nocturnal administration of low-dose dexmedetomidine significantly reduces delirium without increasing adverse events, is the first to describe an effective pharmacologic delirium prevention intervention in critically ill adults,” the authors write.<\/p>\n
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