title: Oral Dexmedetomidine Versus Midazolam as Anesthetic Premedication in Children Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Premedication is required for reducing anxiety and child's struggling against mask acceptance on anesthesia in pediatric surgery for congenital heart disease. Midazolam has been widely used for this purpose, but because of its side effects, finding an effective replacement with less complication is necessary.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In the present study, we compared the efficacy of oral midazolam versus dexmedetomidine in terms of anxiolysis and mask acceptance behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty children aged between 2 and 12 years, and scheduled for on-pump surgery due to a congenital heart disease were randomly assigned into two groups. Oral midazolam (0.5 mg/kg up to 15 mg per patient) and dexmedetomidine (2 µg/kg) were administered 45 minutes pre-anesthesia. Children's anxiety, mask acceptance behavior, hemodynamic measures, and cardiopulmonary outcomes were recorded and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 3.96 ± 2.04 years. Twenty-eight (46.7%) patients were females. Two drugs have similar effects on cardiopulmonary outcomes and hemodynamic measures (P > 0.05). They equally relieved the children's anxiety (mean sedation score 1.93 ± 0.63 and 2.0 ± 0.63 for midazolam and dexmedetomidine groups, respectively; P > 0.05), while dexmedetomidine showed a better effect on improving the mask acceptance behavior (mean mask acceptance score 2.58 ± 0.6 and 1.6 ± 0.67 for midazolam and dexmedetomidine, respectively; P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It appears reasonable to apply oral premedication with dexmedetomidine 45 minutes before transferring the patient to the operating room when he or she is more prone to resist inhalation anesthesia induction.
authors.affiliation: Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyedeh Zahra
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Faritus
authors.affiliation: Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khazaee-Koohpar
authors.affiliation: Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ziyaeifard
authors.affiliation: Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Javad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mehrabanian
keywords: Analgesics; Anesthesia; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Dexmedetomidine; Inhalation; Midazolam; Premedication