The Facilitatory Effects of Intravenous Dexmedetomidine on the Duration of Spinal Anesthesia

BACKGROUND: Central mechanisms have been proposed to explain the prolongation of effect reported with the off-label use of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant in local anesthetic admixtures. We evaluated whether IV dexmedetomidine can prolong the duration of sensory block associated with spinal anesthesia. METHODS: The authors searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials …