Purpose: Our purpose was to examine the effect of dexmedetomidine, when used with phenylephrine during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), on the cerebral and systemic circulations.
Methods: In pentobarbital-anesthetized, mechanically ventilated dogs, we evaluated pial vessel diameters, cerebral oxygen extraction, and systemic hemodynamics before and after cardiac arrest (5 min) and resuscitation, in the presence or absence of dexmedetomidine (n = 7 each; dexmedetomidine or control group).
Results: In both groups: (a) pial arterioles were dilated at 5 and 15 min after CPR, and had returned to baseline diameters at 30 min; (b) sagittal sinus pressure was significantly raised at 5 and 15 min after CPR; and (c) cerebral oxygen extraction was decreased at 5, 15, and 30 min after CPR, and had returned to baseline level at 60 min after CPR. We could find no differences between the two groups in the cerebral circulation after CPR. However, the number of defibrillation electric shocks required to restore spontaneous circulation (5.5 vs 3.6; P < 0.05), the dose of phenylephrine used for CPR (1193 microg vs 409 microg; P < 0.01), and the number of postresuscitation ventricular ectopic beats observed during the first 120 min after successful resuscitation (1606 vs 348; P < 0.05) were all significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group.
Conclusion: Although intravenous dexmedetomidine, as used for CPR, does not have a beneficial effect on either cerebral vessels or cerebral oxygen extraction, it may reduce the number of defibrillation shocks needed and the number of postresuscitation ventricular ectopic beats, and help to bring about stable systemic circulation after CPR.