USE OF DEXMEDETOMIDINE AS A PREMEDICATION COMPONENT FOR PEDIATRIC OPHTALMIC SURGERY TO PREVENT PSYCHOMOTOR AGITATION

Introduction. Preoperative anxiety is a common problem in the pediatric population. The prevalence is 60% of patients undergoing surgery. Untreated anxiety leads to complications in the intra- and postoperative period. The most commonly used drugs for the treatment of anxiety in pediatric patients are benzodiazepines and ketamine. The use of these drugs, in addition to their positive effects, is associated with the occurrence of adverse reactions. Therefore, the search for the ideal premedication in pediatric anesthesiology continues.Materials and methods. We conducted a prospective, single-center cohort study of 30 pediatric patients scheduled for ophthalmic surgery. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between premedication composition and the severity of preoperative anxiety and hemodynamic stability in patients before surgery.Results. The study found that intranasal dexmedetomidine was associated with a greater effect on the severity of perioperative anxiety and agitation compared with intramuscular diazepam. The use of dexmedetomidine in children did not lead to hemodynamic instability or serious side effects.Discussion and conclusions. Intranasal administration of dexmedetomidine in children as part of premedication before ophthalmic surgery allows achieving a sufficient level of sedation and preventing the occurrence of preoperative anxiety and agitation. At the same time, intranasal administration of the drug is not accompanied by hemodynamic instability in patients. The drug dexmedetomidine can be recommended for use in preparation for surgical intervention in pediatric ophthalmic surgery.