title: Does dexmedetomidine affect intraoperative blood loss and clotting tests in pediatric adenotonsillectomy patients?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We hypothesize that dexmedetomidine (DEX), a selective α(2) adrenergic receptor agonist, may affect the intraoperative blood loss and clotting tests such as prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and international normalized ratio in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy (ADT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients scheduled for elective ADT under general anesthesia. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either DEX 0.5 μg/kg (group D) or placebo bolus (group C) with a total volume of 10 mL, 10 min before the induction of anesthesia. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, blood loss, preoperatively and immediately after awakening clotting tests, agitation, sedation, visual analog scale, and analgesic requirement, were assessed and recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The postoperative hemoglobin was significantly lower than the preoperative value in both groups (P < 0.05). The postoperative agitation scale and analgesic requirement and visual analog scale at the 15th min were significantly lower in group D than those in group C (P < 0.05). Total blood loss and postoperative sedation score in group D was significantly higher than that in group C (P < 0.05). The postoperative prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, international normalized ratio tests between the groups, additionally pre-postoperative MAP, heart rate, and clotting tests were similar in each group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The premedication with DEX 0.5 μg/kg decreased postoperative agitation, pain, and analgesic requirement without significant change in the clotting tests and MAP but increased bleeding slightly during ADT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizrak
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karatas
authors.forename: Resit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saruhan
authors.forename: Ferit
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: Unsal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Oner
authors.forename: Vahap
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saricicek
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baysal
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000293:Adolescent; D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D008297:Male; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D000700:Analgesics; D020927:Dexmedetomidine