Efficacy of perioperative intravenous dexmedetomidine administration for the prevention of postoperative sore throat: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is an undesirable intubation-related complication after surgery. Several studies have investigated the efficacy of perioperative intravenous dexmedetomidine administration for the prevention of POST, but the results have been inconsistent. We aimed to summarize all existing evidence and draw a more precise conclusion to guide future clinical work. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were comprehensively searched for all randomized controlled trials published before 1 February 2021 that investigated the efficacy of dexmedetomidine for the prevention of POST. RESULTS: Nine studies involving 400 patients were included in our meta-analysis. Compared with the control groups (i.e., saline and anesthetic drugs), perioperative intravenous use of dexmedetomidine significantly reduced the incidence of POST [risk ratio (RR): 0.56; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.40–0.77; I(2) = 0%) and coughing on the tube during extubation (RR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.41–0.82; I(2) = 0%). Additionally, patients in the dexmedetomidine group were more likely to develop bradycardia (RR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.28–4.71; I(2) = 0%) and hypotension (RR: 3.26; 95% CI: 1.14–9.33; I(2) = 0%) during the administration of dexmedetomidine than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Perioperative intravenous administration of dexmedetomidine has a positive effect on the prevention of POST.