Effect of dexmedetomidine on postoperative delirium in elderly patients with severe diseases

Objective To observe the effect of dexmedetomidine anesthesia on postoperative delirium in elderly patients with severe diseases. Methods 67 elderly patients undergoing abdominal operation in our hospital from Jan. 2014 to Oct. 2014 were chosen as the research subjects, and randomly divided into the observation group (n=35) and the control group (n=32). In the observation group, 35 cases were treated with dexmedetomidine in loading dose of 1 μg/kg and maintenance dose of 0.2 μg/kg. In the control group, 32 cases were treated with the equal volume of saline instead of dexmedetomidine. The extubation time, recovery time and incidence of delirium were observed. Results The recovery time and extubation time were shorter in observation group than in control group 〔(18.4±6.9) min vs. (24.6±7.4) min, (25.8 ±7.3) vs. (31.2±9.1) min, t=4.626, 3.494, both P<0.001〕. The incidence rate of postoperative delirium was lower in observation group much than in the control group (8.6% vs. 28.1%, χ2=7.063, P=0.008). Conclusions Dexmedetomidine anesthesia can significantly shorten the recovery time and extubation time, and reduce the incidence rate of postoperative delirium in elderly patients with severe diseases. Key words: Adrenergic alpha-agonists; Delirium