Welcome to the Dexmedetomidine Source, an interactive Internet site designed to provide information to physicians and healthcare personnel about dexmedetomidine hydrochloride injection (Precedex™), a novel therapeutic modality approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 1999 for sedation in patients hospitalized in intensive care settings.

Dexmedetomidine is an alpha-2 agonist, a novel sedative with analgesic properties that controls stress, anxiety and pain. When facilitating a patient's adaptation to mechanical ventilation, the current standard of care is the use of a combination of agents including propofol, opioids, and benzodiazepines. These agents can be associated with a number of side effects, including respiratory depression, especially when agents are used concurrently.

Dexmedetomidine, as a single agent, will produce sedation, pain relief, anxiety reduction, stable respiratory rates, and predictable cardiovascular responses. Dexmedetomidine facilitates patient comfort, compliance and comprehension by offering sedation with the ability to rouse patients. This "rousability" allows patients to remain sedated yet communicate with health care workers.

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