Effects of dexmedetomidine on early cognitive function in elderly patients after abdominal surgery: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis aims to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (Dex) on postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in elderly patients undergoing abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.Six online databases were searched for studies on the effects of Dex on POCD in elderly patients (≥60 years) who underwent abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. The experimental group was treated with Dex and the control group with normal saline. The retrieval period was from the database's inception to March 2023. Stata 15.0 statistical software was utilized to analyze the data.In total, 14 studies were entered into this meta-analysis, including 675 patients. On the first, third, and seventh days after surgery, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the controls (first day: weighted mean difference [WMD] = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.13~3.90, P<0.001; third day: WMD=2.58, 95% CI: 0.76~4.40, P=0.005; seventh day: WMD=1.43, 95% CI: 0.57~2.29, P=0.001). On the first day after surgery, there was a lot less cognitive dysfunction in the Dex group than in the controls (odds ratio [OR] = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.15~0.42, P<0.001).Dex administered intraoperatively can enhance early cognitive function in elderly patients undergoing abdominal surgery.