title: Dexmedetomidine sedation after cardiac surgery decreases atrial arrhythmias.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether postoperative cardiac surgery patients who are sedated with dexmedetomidine have fewer atrial arrhythmias, and whether dexmedetomidine is associated with fewer renal and more gastrointestinal (GI) complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban academic hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 765 postoperative cardiac surgery patients who were given dexmedetomidine for postoperative sedation in the intensive care unit (ICU) were studied. Data from the hospital's Cardiac Anesthesiology database between the years 2005 and 2010 were evaluated. Records of patients whose ASA physical status was > 4 or who were < 18 years of age were excluded from the study. Patients who were and were not given dexmedetomidine were compared for postoperative sedation within three days after cardiac surgery using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for imbalanced covariables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The records of 17,776 patients, including 765 cardiac patients given dexmedetomidine for postoperative sedation in the ICU, were reviewed. Patients who received postoperative dexmedetomidine had a lower risk of having atrial arrhythmias: (OR 0.74 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.91; P = 0.004). Dexmedetomidine was not associated with 30-day mortality (1.10, 0.40 - 3.02; P = 0.86), or with any of the following 30-day outcomes: surgical infection (0.72, 0.36-1.42; P = 0.34), systemic infection (1.38, 0.93 - 2.05; P = 0.11), GI complications (1.34, 0.74 - 2.42; P = 0.33), or renal complications (1.23, 0.70 - 2.15; P = 0.48).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dexmedetomidine use after cardiac surgery was associated with a lower incidence of atrial arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. Electronic address: alparslanturan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Alparslan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.affiliation: Department of Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; Department Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: C Allen
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bashour
authors.affiliation: Department of Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Yordanka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kirkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurz
authors.affiliation: Department of Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Sessler
authors.affiliation: Department of Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saager
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D020927:Dexmedetomidine
keywords: Anesthesia; Atrial arrhythmia; Cardiac surgery; Dexmedetomidine; Sedation