title: Effect of dexmedetomidine in preventing etomidate-induced myoclonus: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine in the prevention of etomidate-induced myoclonus.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the use of dexmedetomidine in preventing etomidate-induced myoclonus in the databases PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI. We extracted data and assessed the quality of the literature and adopted RevMan 5.2 to conduct meta-analysis on each effective index and employed funnel plot to test publication bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the incidence of etomidate-induced myoclonus in the dexmedetomidine treated groups was significantly lower than that of the control groups (risk ratio [RR]=0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.15, 0.47],P<0.00001). With regard to the severity of etomidate-induced myoclonus, incidences of etomidate-induced myoclonus in the dexmedetomidine treated groups resulting in mild myoclonus (RR=0.37, 95% CI [0.19, 0.75],P=0.006), moderate myoclonus (RR=0.21, 95% CI [0.12, 0.37],P<0.00001), or severe myoclonus (RR=0.18, 95% CI [0.08, 0.38],P<0.00001) were significantly lower than those of the control groups. No statistically significant difference was found (RR=0.70, 95% CI [0.47, 1.04],P=0.08) between etomidate-induced myoclonus in the dexmedetomidine treated groups and that of the midazolam treated groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dexmedetomidine can effectively prevent the incidence of etomidate-induced myoclonus and reduce the severity of etomidate-induced myoclonus. In addition, there were no significant differences between the effects of dexmedetomidine and midazolam in preventing etomidate-induced myoclonus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning.
authors.forename: Xueke
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Zhaoqing Medical College, Zhaoqing Shi, Guangdong Sheng, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chengmao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning.
authors.forename: Linghui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning.
authors.forename: Changlong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005045:Etomidate / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D020927:Dexmedetomidine; D005045:Etomidate
keywords: dexmedetomidine; etomidate; meta-analysis; myoclonus-chemically induced