Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Dexmedetomidine During Recovery From Sevoflurane Anesthesia in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background Intranasal drip of dexmedetomidine in children with sevoflurane anesthesia can reduce anesthesia and restlessness. However, there is still some controversy. We conducted a meta-analysis to explore the effect of intranasal infusion of dexmedetomidine on the quality of recovery during the recovery period, to provide certain guidance for clinical application. Methods Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were used for literature search. Systematic reviews were based on PRISMA (the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis). Results A total of 14 articles and 1123 patients were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the incidence of emergence agitation [risk ratio (RR), 0.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.20–0.50; P < 0.0001], satisfactory sedation at parent separation (RR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.031–93; P = 0.034), incidence of nausea and vomiting (RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.21–0.78; P = 0.007), and incidence of laryngospasm (RR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.08–0.65; P = 0.006) of the intranasal dexmedetomidine group were different compared with the control group. However, the satisfactory sedation at mask induction in the intranasal dexmedetomidine group (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.87–1.54; P = 0.319), postanesthesia care unit (PACU) stay time (standardized mean deviation, 0.51; 95% CI, −0.11 to 1.12; P = 0.107), and extubation time (standardized mean deviation, 1.64; 95% CI, −1.07 to 4.35; P = 0.235) were not statistically significant compared with those of the control group. Conclusion Intranasal dexmedetomidine anesthesia with sevoflurane in children can reduce the incidence of emergence agitation, provide more satisfactory sedation when the parents are separated, reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting, and reduce the incidence of laryngospasm. In addition, the 2 μg/kg dose of dexmedetomidine may be the best dose for clinical application.