Dexmedetomidine Use in ICU Sedation and Postoperative Recovery in Elderly Patients and Post-cardiac Surgery
Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
2018-02-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Increasing numbers of elderly patients are undergoing cardiac surgery. Elderly patients may
have prolonged recovery following cardiac surgery when compared to other groups of patients,
and are at higher risk of postoperative delirium, postoperative neurocognitive decline and
reduced quality of life following hospital discharge.
The goals of sedation and analgesia for patients following cardiac surgery are multifold and
include postoperative pain relief, the facilitation of ventilation, resolution of hypothermia
and normalization of electrolyte balances. The choice of sedative agent however can impact
postoperative outcomes. Dexmedetomidine has been associated with improved quality of recovery
in patients undergoing major spine surgery and with a reduced incidence of delirium, both of
which can impact a patient's quality of life following surgery. The investigators
hypothesized that the use of dexmedetomidine as a sedative agent immediately following
cardiac surgery in elderly patients would result in improved quality of recovery and a
reduced incidence of delirium in the postoperative period, when compared to propofol. The
investigators were also interested as to whether there was an associated improvement in
neurocognitive outcomes in this population.
Questions:
- Does the use of dexmedetomidine as a sedative agent in ICU in elderly patients following
cardiac surgery result in improved Quality of Recovery scores when compared with
propofol?
- Does the use of dexmedetomidine as a sedative agent in ICU in elderly patients following
CABG+/- AVR result in a reduced incidence of postoperative delirium as compared to
propofol?
- Do these patients subsequently have a reduction in cognitive decline?