Effect of Intraoperative Dexmedetomidine on Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery

This study is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Three hundred patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery were randomized to the intervention and control groups. Patients in the intervention group were given a loading dose of 0.6 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine by intravenous infusion within 10 minutes after intubation, followed by a continuous infusion at a rate of 0.4 μg/kg/h until 30 min before the end of the procedure; patients in the control group were given an equal volume of saline. Data were collected at 1-5 days and 1 month postoperative follow-up.