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Material and Method: The present study protocol was approved by the clinical research ethics committee at Ramathibodi Hospital. Thirty-four patients were randomly allocated into two groups to receive either dexmedetomidine or propofol for an electrophysiology study. Patients in the dexmedetomidine group received a loading dose of dexmedetomidine (0.5 mcg/kg) infused over 10 minutes followed by 0.4 mcg/kg/h. Each patient in the propofol group received propofol 1mg/kg over 10 minutes followed by 3mg/kg/h. All patients received pethidine (0.5 mg/kg) before the initiation of EP study. Sedation was determined using the Modified Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (MOAA/S). The Modified Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation scores, hemodynamic and respiratory variables were recorded regularly during the EP study.
Results: Thirty-four patients were enrolled in the present study. The Modified Observer’s Assessment Alertness/Sedation values were similar in both groups. Respiratory rate values with dexmedetomidine were significantly higher than those in the propofol group (p = 0.048) and the oxygen supplement in the dexmedetomidine group were significantly lower than those in the propofol group (p<0.001). Moreover, mean arterial blood pressure values of dexmedetomidine at the five and 15-minute were significantly higher than those of the propofol group (p = 0.024). No incidence of severe bradycardia or hypotension was found in both groups.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that comparable sedation could be achieved by a combination of pethidine with either dexmedetomidine or propofol during EP study. Dexmedetomidine group provided more hemodynamic and respiratory stability than propofol group.
Keywords: Dexmedetomidine, Propofol, Electrophysiology study