Dexmedetomidine Use in Patients with 33℃ Targeted Temperature Management: Focus on Bradycardia as an Adverse Effect

Abstract

Background This study aimed to investigate bradycardia as an adverse effect after administration of dexmedetomidine during 33℃ target temperature management. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent 33℃ target temperature management in the emergency department during a 49-month study period. We collected data including age, sex, weight, diagnosis, bradycardia occurrence, target temperature management duration, sedative drug, and several clinical and laboratory results. We conducted logistic regression for an analysis of factors associated with bradycardia. Results A total of 68 patients were selected. Among them, 39 (57.4%) showed bradycardia, and 56 (82.4%) were treated with dexmedetomidine. The odds ratio for bradycardia in the carbon monoxide poisoning group compared to the cardiac arrest group and in patients with higher body weight were 7.448 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.834-30.244, p = 0.005) and 1.058 (95% CI 1.002-1.123, p = 0.044), respectively. In the bradycardia with dexmedetomidine group, the infusion rate of dexmedetomidine was 0.41 ± 0.15 μg/kg/h. Decisions of charged doctor’s were 1) slowing infusion rate and 2) stopping infusion or administering atropine for bradycardia. No cases required cardiac pacing or worsened to asystole. Conclusions Despite the frequent occurrence of bradycardia after administration of dexmedetomidine during 33℃ target temperature management, bradycardia was completely recovered after reducing infusion rate or stopping infusion. However, reducing the infusion rate of dexmedetomidine lower than the standard maintenance dose could be necessary to prevent bradycardia from developing in patients with higher body weight or carbon monoxide poisoning during 33℃ targeted temperature management.

Keywords

• adverse effects
• bradycardia
• dexmedetomidine
• hypothermia, induced