Dexmedetomidine:chaperone of anesthesia

Aim:In this review,it will mainly focus on clarifying the pharmacology of dexmedetomidine and discussing the past,present and future clinical applications of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct in anesthesia.Method:We have searched and reviewed the articles about the use of dexmedetomidine in clinical anesthesia,intensive care unit(ICU),painless gastroenteroscopy and painless labor over the past two decades.Recent findings:Dexmedetomidine,a highly selective agonist of alpha2-adrenergic receptors(alpha2-AR),was primarily approved by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration(FDA)for sedation in ICU due to its pharmacological characteristics with sedative,analgesic and sympatholytic effects.These properties make up the limitations of anesthetics,and it produces a“dexmedetomidine assisted”anesthesia mode as an adjuvant combining with other anesthesia methods,which are all termed as“DEX+”.These new methods can reduce the anesthetics requirement but prolong the action period and alleviate the adverse reactions of anesthetics,thus improving the anesthesia more effectively and safely.Summary:Dexmedetomidine possesses the unique properties exerting synergistic effects and alleviating the side effects as an adjuvant in anesthesia through different administration routes.It is beneficial for the patients’long-term outcome and will be bound to be the leading innovator of anesthesia in future.