Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine used for intravertebral anesthesia. Methods A search in PubMed Central, EBSCO, Springer, Ovid, CNKI and WanFang Data was conducted from the date of their establishment to February 2011, so as to collect the randomized controlled trails (RCTs) on dexmedetomidine used for intravertebral anesthesia. The reference lists of identified papers were examined for further trials. After the data were extracted and the quality was assessed in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the Meta-analysis was conducted with RevMan5.0 software. Results A total of 13 RCTs involving 672 patients were included. The results of meta-analyses showed that compared with saline solution, dexmedetomidine tended to speed up the mean time of sensory block to reach T10 dermatome (MD= –2.39, 95%CI –4.40 to –0.39) and motor block to reach Bromage 3 (MD= –5.30, 95%CI –7.18 to –3.43). It also prolonged the time for two dermatomes regression of sensory blockade (MD=51.14, 95%CI 44.96 to 57.32) and complete resolution of motor blockade (MD=68.46, 95%CI 38.56 to 98.35). Peri-operative bradycardia significantly increased (RR=3.03, 95%CI 1.64 to 5.59) but shivering decreased (RR=0.47, 95%CI 0.28 to 0.80). In comparison with the control group, dexmedetomidine showed no difference in low blood pressure and occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Conclusion The current evidence shows that dexmedetomidine shortens the time for taking effect, prolongs the duration of intravertebral anesthesia, decreases the occurrence of shivering, and increases the occurrence of bradycardia.
