Comparison of the Sedative, Recovery, and Analgesic Effects of Oral Dexmedetomidine, Ketamine, and Midazolam for Premedication in Children Undergoing Inguinal Hernia Surgery: A Randomized Double-Blind Study

Oral dexmedetomidine, ketamine, and midazolam provided comparable sedation quality and parental separation ease in children undergoing inguinal hernia surgeries. However, dexmedetomidine showed significant advantages by reducing recovery time and improving postoperative pain scores, despite a higher incidence of bradycardia in some patients. Thus, oral dexmedetomidine appears to be an efficient and safe alternative for pediatric premedication, provided careful heart rate monitoring.