Nocturnal Low-dose Dexmedetomidine Infusion and Perioperative Sleep Quality
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2026-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Sleep disturbances are prevalent in older patients with osteoarthrosis or fracture scheduled
for knee or hip replacement surgery. The occurrence of sleep disturbances is associated with
worse outcomes including increased risk of delirium and cardiac events, and worsened
functional recovery. Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α2-adrenergic agonist with
sedative, anxiolytic, and analgesic properties. It exerts sedative effects via activating the
endogenous sleep pathways and produces a state like non-rapid eye movement sleep, which is
different from opioid- and benzodiazepine-induced sedation. Night-time infusion of low-dose
dexmedetomidine may improve sleep quality. However, evidence in this aspect is limited.