The dexmedetomidine concentration required after remifentanil anesthesia is three-fold higher than that after fentanyl anesthesia or that for general sedation in the ICU.

Purpose: The general dexmedetomidine (DEX) concentration required for sedation of intensive care unit patients is considered to be approximately 0.7 ng/mL. However, higher DEX concentrations are considered to be required for sedation and/or pain management after major surgery using remifentanil.

A high dose of dexmedetomidine using the BIS monitor™ for diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization in a toddler with congenital heart disease.

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) for sedation in diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization (DICC) has been reported to require other drugs or rescue drugs because of its insufficient sedative effect when used alone. We administered DEX and adjusted its dose according to the bispectral index (BIS) monitor™ for DICC in a toddler; consequently, a high dose of DEX had to be administered. The patient was a 1-year and 4-month-old boy who was scheduled to undergo DICC after intracardiac repair.

Dexmedetomidine can stabilize hemodynamics and spare anesthetics before cardiopulmonary bypass.

Purpose: We previously confirmed the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine (DEX) for stabilizing hemodynamics as well as sparing anesthetics during anesthetic induction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery (Kunisawa et al. in J Clin Anesth 21:194-199, 1). In this study, we investigated whether these effects of DEX continue until the start of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Administration of dexmedetomidine alone during diagnostic cardiac catheterization in adults with congenital heart disease: two case reports.

We report the clinical management of 2 adults with mental retardation because of trisomy 21 who were sedated with high-dose dexmedetomidine (DEX) alone during diagnostic cardiac catheterization (DCC). The first patient was a 25-year-old man with aortic regurgitation and ventricular septal defect. DEX increased his Ramsay sedation score; however, a high dose and bolus injection of DEX were required to perform an invasive procedure.

[Effect of the initial loading dose of dexmedetomidine on hemodynamics in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery].

Background: We studied the effect of the initial loading dose of dexmedetomidine on hemodynamics in pediatric patient undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: This study was on 10 children under ten who were scheduled for elective surgery for repair of the atrial and ventricular septal defect. The induction and maintenance of anesthesia were performed with total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) using propofol and fentanyl.

[Use of the pentax-AWS in a patient with Cormack 3a difficult airway].

Pentax-AWS (AWS) (Pentax, Japan) is a rigid video laryngoscope with built-in 2.4 inch color CCD monitor paired with a disposal blade. It is developed for management of both normal and difficult airways.