Abstract
While previous reports have shown that dexmedetomidine (DEX) does not cause withdrawal symptoms, reports on withdrawal cases are on the rise with the increasing use of prolonged DEX administration. As most of the studies on DEX were limited to small sample sizes, many aspects regarding this condition remain unknown. Here, we report five pediatric cases of DEX withdrawal symptoms. Median age was 22 months (range 4-39), median length of DEX administration was 61 hours (range 54-187), and median maximum infusion rate was 0.9μg/kg/hr (range 0.6-0.9). Withdrawal symptoms observed include tachycardia, tachypnea, hypertension, pyrexia, agitation, discomfort, sleep disturbance, tremor, and irritability. In view of these outcomes, we recommend careful consideration before prolonged DEX is administered.
