Alpha 2-agonist agents: a review for CRNAs.

Abstract

Over 300 clonidine-related research articles have been prominently featured in anesthesia journals over the last 4 to 5 years. Nurse anesthetists may already find themselves administering alpha 2-adrenergic agents to help control hypertension; however, in the future their use as anesthetic adjuncts to control pain may also become important. This article reviews the alpha 2-adrenergic (A2) receptor and one of its agonist agents, clonidine.