Comparison between the effect of ketamine-dexmedetomidine versus ketamine-propofol on emergence agitation in pediatrics undergoing adenotonsillectomy by sevoflurane anesthesia

Background Pediatric Emergence Agitation (PEA) Emergence agitation (EA) is a state of anxiety, irritability, non-purposeful movement, thrashing, and disorientation during early recovery from general anesthesia. it can be harmful for the children and their family, causing bleeding at the surgical site, parental unhappiness, and anxiety. Aim To decrease the incidence of emergence agitation (EA) in pediatrics undergoing adenotonsillectomy under sevoflurane anesthesia, by using ketamine-dexmedetomidine (KD) or ketamine-propofol (KP). Patients and methods In this prospective randomised controlled clinical trial, 63 children were randomly assigned to one of three groups of similar size: group C (Control group) (n=21), who received a single intravenous bolus of 10 ml 0.9% normal saline; group KD (n=21), who received 0.15 mg/kg ketamine and 0.3 μg/kg dexmedetomidine; 10 min before the end of surgery, and group KP (n=21), who received 0.15 mg/kg ketamine and 0.5 mg/kg propofol, 10 min before the end of surgery. The primary outcome was the post anesthesia EA which was evaluated using the pediatric anesthesia emergence agitation scale (PAED) score out come was assessment of OPS and complications. Results There were significant difference between the groups regarding the heart rate which was faster in the control group immediately, 5, 10, and 15 min post extubation. In the KD group the extubation time was the longest compared with the KP group and the control group. The PAED scores were significantly different among the three studied groups at 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 min. Conclusion The combination of ketamine (0.15 mg/kg) and dexmedetomidine (0.3 μg/kg) given 10 min before the completion of surgery was more effective in preventing emerging agitation than ketofol.