Effect of Dexmedetomidine on elderly patients with hypertension under epidural anesthesia

Objective To observe the effect of Dexmedetomidine on elderly patients with hypertension under epidural anesthesia. Methods From January 2011 to July 2013, 70 elderly patients with essential hypertension, who were operated by vaporization resection of prostate in People's Hospital of Chongqing Banan, were randomly devided into treatment(n = 35) and control groups(n =35). Patients in the treatment group received Dexmedetomidine 0.4 μg/kg by iv injection, while the patients in the control group received Midazolam 0.2 mg by iv injection. The other drugs were same used in the two groups. Blood pressure(mean aortic pressure, MAP), heart rate(HR), and blood oxygen saturation(SPO2) at entering the operating room(before operation), 5 min after administration, 30 min, and 2 h after anesthesia were recorded. And Ramsay sedation score of the two groups were counted. Results AT 5 min after administration, blood pressure and heart rate of the control group increased significantly compared with the baseline, patients in the treatment group had relatively small fluctuations, the differences were statistical significance(P 0.05). There was no significant statistical difference in the blood oxygen saturation of the patients in the two groups. The adverse reaction in the treatment group was about 20%, lower than that of the control group(40%), with the significant difference between the two groups(P 0.05). Conclusion A small dose of Dexmedetomidine has a good effect of sedation and central antihypertensive in elderly patients with hypertension, while has no respiratory depression during anesthesia, which could maintain stable vital signs.