Dexmedetomidine facilitates extubation in children who require intubation and respiratory support after airway foreign body retrieval: a case-cohort analysis of 57 cases.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate whether dexmedetomidine had sedative weaning advantage for extubation after airway foreign body (FB) removal in children.

METHODS: A retrospective case-cohort comparison study with total of 57 critical children who required mechanical ventilation after rigid bronchoscopy was performed. After tracheal intubation, group D (received dexmedetomidine 1 µg/kg over 10 min, followed by an infusion of 0.8 µg/kg/h), and group RP (received remifentanil-propofol 6-10 µg/kg/h and 1-3 mg/kg/h, respectively). The primary outcome was successful extubation rate on first weaning trial. The minor outcomes included weaning time, emergency agitation, coughing score and the incidence of respiratory adverse complications on emergency.

MAIN RESULTS: All 57 patients were included in the analysis, with 30 patients in group D and 27 controlled cases in group RP. The success rate of first weaning trial in the D group was 96.7 vs 77.8% in the RP group, risk ratio (RR) 1.56, 95% CI [0.78-1.98]. Time for resuming spontaneous breathing after termination infusion was shorter in the D group (median 8 min, IQR 15 min) vs RP group (median 12 min, IQR 19 min, P = 0.02, RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.14-6.57).

CONCLUSIONS: In mechanical ventilation of pediatric patients following rigid bronchoscopy, in comparison to remifentanil-propofol, dexmedetomidine is proved to have high success rate for weaning strategy. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN?: Remifentanil is proved to be effective for weaning in ICU patients. Dexmedetomedine can provide similar rates of smooth extubation for pediatric patients who underwent airway surgery. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS?: Invasive ventilation is used for patients with severe comorbidity after airway surgery, but the correct strategy for pediatric extubation after removal of airway foreign body remains unclear. For these patients with short-term mechanical ventilation, dexmedetomedine may improve the extubation rate, when compared with remifentanil-propofol.