The aim of this study was to report preliminary data on the use of intranasal dexmedetomidine to treat postoperative restlessness, agitation, and pain in 23 patients aged > 70 years and undergoing orthopedic surgery.

Postoperative agitation and delirium are common among older adult patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

Most preparations used to treat agitation and delirium carry a risk for adverse events such as respiratory failure. Moreover, mere opioid therapy may be insufficient in treatment of pain.

Dexmedetomidine, an α2-adrenoreceptor agonist with sedative and analgesic properties, has been shown to reduce opioid requirement and reduce postoperative delirium in older adults.

We studied the use of post-operative intranasal dexmedetomidine in a retrospective study cohort of geriatric patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

 Primary outcomes included alterations in heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), respiratory rate (RR), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), Modified Richmond Agitation and Sedation Score (mRASS), and opioid consumption following dexmedetomidine administration.