Effect of Pharmacological Agents Administered for Attenuating the Extubation Response on the Quality of Extubation: A Systematic Review.

Background Several drugs have been tried to obtund the hemodynamic extubation response but all have variable side effects that may affect the quality of short-term recovery. Objective Our primary objective was to evaluate the effect of pharmacological agents, such as dexmedetomidine, local anesthetics, and so on, administered for attenuating the extubation response on the quality of extubation, as judged by the presence or absence of cough, sedation, and laryngospasm/bronchospasm in adult patients who had undergone general anesthesia. A secondary objective was to evaluate the effect of these drugs on other immediate post-extubation complications such as respiratory depression, desaturation, bradycardia, hypotension, and nausea and vomiting (PONV). Methods This is a systematic review of (randomized controlled trials)