Vol. 1, Issue 7, Part M (2015)

Abstract
Background and Objectives: Autoinjury, slowed healing, and heightened worry in caregivers are symptoms of postoperative agitation, a prevalent consequence after pediatric tonsillectomy. One effective drug to reduce emergence agitation in children is dexmedetomidine, and α2-adrenergic agonist that has sedative and analgesic qualities. The purpose of this research was to find out whether dexmedetomidine helped paediatric children who had adenotonsillectomy recover more quickly and with less discomfort after the procedure. Materials and Methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial was performed on 50 pediatric children aged 4 to 12 years, categorized as ASA I-II, who were scheduled for elective adenotonsillectomy under general anesthesia. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group D (n=25) got dexmedetomidine 0.5 µg/kg intravenously over 10 minutes before to induction, whereas Group C (n=25) received an equal volume of normal saline. The evaluated parameters encompassed emergence agitation score (utilizing the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium Scale), sedation score, hemodynamic stability, recovery duration, and the occurrence of side effects. Statistical analysis included Student’s t-test and the Chi-square test, with a significance threshold set at p<0.05. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of postoperative agitation between Group C (48%) and Group D (12%). The dexmedetomidine group had significantly lower mean emergence agitation scores (4.1±1.2) compared to the control group (8.3±1.8). Although two patients using dexmedetomidine experienced moderate bradycardia, all other hemodynamic measures stayed within clinically acceptable ranges. There was no clinically significant difference between Group C (14.2±2.6 min) and Group D (16.4±2.3 min) in terms of the mean recovery time. There were no reports of major side effects. Conclusion: Patients undergoing pediatric adenotonsillectomy can benefit from dexmedetomidine's ability to alleviate postoperative agitation and enhance the quality of their recovery without experiencing major side effects. Whether administered before or during surgery, it can improve children's perioperative safety and comfort.