The Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Reducing Emergence Coughing in Thyroidectomy Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background Emergence from anesthesia could be associated with complications such as bleeding. Such complications are more common among specific surgeries such as thyroidectomy. We aimed to study if a single-dose of dexmedetomidine given 10 minutes before emergence from anesthesia would decrease emergence cough among thyroidectomy patients. Methods This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on patients aged 18–68 years old referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Urmia, Iran. The Ethics Committee of Urmia University of Medical Sciences approved the present study. Simple randomization was used in this study. The patients were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. The baseline characteristics of the patients was recorded at baseline and systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial blood pressure were measured before the operation. In the ending 10 minutes of the operation, the intervention group received 0.5 micrograms/kg of dexmedetomidine and the control group received the same volume of saline. Then, the frequency and intensity of cough, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and shivering were measured. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test were used for data analysis. Results Dexmedetomidine significantly reduced the frequency of coughing during recovery compared to the control group (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in heart rate, blood pressure, or shivering between the two groups. Conclusion In conclusion, dexmedetomidine administration during surgery under general anesthesia significantly reduced the frequency of coughing during recovery in thyroidectomy patients. Trial registration IRCT code IR20211209053338N1