Comparison of the incidence and severity of delirium and biochemical factors after coronary artery bypass grafting with dexmedetomidine: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial study

BACKGROUND: One of the most common postoperative problems, such as open heart surgery, is delirium, which is responsible for increased mortality and morbidity. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way to cure this disease. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of dexmedetomidine administration on the prevention of delirium after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. METHODS: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed on 88 patients (44 in the intervention group and 44 in the control group) undertaking CABG surgery. The intervention group was subcutaneously treated with doses of 1 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine for 10 minutes, and 0.2-0.7 μg/kg in hour infusion was applied. The control group underwent normal saline infusion as a placebo. Chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to compare the data. RESULTS: Administration of dexmedetomidine in intervention group significantly decreased delirium (P = 0.040) and delirium intensity (P = 0.001). Moreover, patients treated with dexmedetomidine had more stability in laboratory variables and vital signs, and also the duration of hospitalization in these patients was significantly lower than control group (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Considering the efficacy of dexmedetomidine on preventing the incidence and severity of delirium and reducing mortality and morbidity, it is recommended that another study with the larger sample size, with different doses and different prescribing methods be conducted to better understand the effect of this drug and achieve a safe dose with maximum efficacy.