Comparison of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil on reducing coughing during emergence from anesthesia with tracheal intubation: A meta-analysis
- PMID: 36249748
- PMCID: PMC9561905
- DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.993239
Comparison of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil on reducing coughing during emergence from anesthesia with tracheal intubation: A meta-analysis
Abstract
Background: Dexmedetomidine and remifentanil are well known to suppress airway reflex during emergence from anesthesia, but which one is more effective is unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the effect of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil on reducing the occurrence of coughing. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials (published between 1 January 1950, and 30 December 2021; no language restrictions) comparing dexmedetomidine infusion with remifentanil infusion. The primary endpoint was the incidence of moderate to severe coughing during the recovery period. The secondary endpoints were the time of recovery and extubation, and residual sedation. We assessed pooled data by using a random-effects model. Results: Eight studies with 502 participants were included. The meta-analysis showed no statistically difference between dexmedetomidine and remifentanil in the occurrence of moderate to severe coughing during emergence from anesthesia (OR 1.45,95%CI 0.62-3.38), the extubation time (MD 0.93 min, 95%CI -0.28-2.14), and the residual sedation (OR 2.52, 95%CI 0.92-6.91). Compared with dexmedetomidine, the average recovery time of remifentanil was shorter (MD 3.88 min, 95%CI 1.01-6.75). Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine and remifentanil infusion had no difference in the occurrence of moderate to severe coughing during emergence from anesthesia. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42021239710.
Keywords: dexmedetomidine; emergence coughing; extubation; general anaesthesia; remifentanil.
Copyright © 2022 Fan, Cai, Pan and Xie.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Figures





Similar articles
-
Efficacy of Single-Dose Dexmedetomidine Combined with Low-Dose Remifentanil Infusion for Cough Suppression Compared to High-Dose Remifentanil Infusion: A Randomized, Controlled, Non-Inferiority Trial.Int J Med Sci. 2019 Jan 24;16(3):376-383. doi: 10.7150/ijms.30227. eCollection 2019. Int J Med Sci. 2019. PMID: 30911271 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
Medications to reduce emergence coughing after general anaesthesia with tracheal intubation: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Br J Anaesth. 2020 Apr;124(4):480-495. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2019.12.041. Epub 2020 Feb 22. Br J Anaesth. 2020. PMID: 32098647 Review.
-
Dexmedetomidine versus remifentanil for controlled hypotension under general anesthesia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PLoS One. 2023 Jan 17;18(1):e0278846. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278846. eCollection 2023. PLoS One. 2023. PMID: 36649357 Free PMC article.
-
Efficacy of a single dose of dexmedetomidine for cough suppression during anesthetic emergence: a randomized controlled trial.Can J Anaesth. 2015 Apr;62(4):392-8. doi: 10.1007/s12630-014-0295-6. Epub 2014 Dec 19. Can J Anaesth. 2015. PMID: 25523837 Clinical Trial.
-
A Randomized Comparison of Remifentanil Target-Controlled Infusion Versus Dexmedetomidine Single-Dose Administration: A Better Method for Smooth Recovery From General Sevoflurane Anesthesia.Am J Ther. 2016 May-Jun;23(3):e690-6. doi: 10.1097/01.mjt.0000433939.84373.2d. Am J Ther. 2016. PMID: 24100256 Clinical Trial.
Cited by
-
Decreasing the pressure of endotracheal tube cuff slowly with a constant speed can decrease coughing incidence during extubation: a randomized clinical trial.Perioper Med (Lond). 2024 Sep 30;13(1):93. doi: 10.1186/s13741-024-00450-3. Perioper Med (Lond). 2024. PMID: 39350247 Free PMC article.
-
Comparison between dexmedetomidine and lidocaine for attenuation of cough response during tracheal extubation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Indian J Anaesth. 2024 May;68(5):415-425. doi: 10.4103/ija.ija_790_23. Epub 2024 Apr 12. Indian J Anaesth. 2024. PMID: 38764958 Free PMC article.
-
Comparison of Dexmedetomidine and Remifentanil on Adropin Expression in Unilateral Lumbar Microdiscectomy: A Prospective Active Controlled Randomized Trial Study.J Clin Med. 2025 May 26;14(11):3711. doi: 10.3390/jcm14113711. J Clin Med. 2025. PMID: 40507473 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Chen J. W., Lv X., Zhang L., Chen Z. F. (2016). Effects of remifentanil and dexmedetomidine on recovery profiles after oral and maxillofacial surgery. Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue 25 (1), 101–104. - PubMed
-
- Choi E. K., Kwon N., Park S. J. (2018). Comparison of the effects of oxycodone versus fentanyl on airway reflex to tracheal extubation and postoperative pain during anesthesia recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A double-blind, randomized clinical consort study. Medicine 97 (13), e0156. 10.1097/md.0000000000010156 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
Publication types
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources