Abstract:Objective To evaluate the sedative efficiency of continuous infusion of Dexmedetomidine or Midazolam on mechanical ventilation with BIS in elder patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Methods Sixtyeight elder patients who underwent mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery were admitted to ICU and randomly assigned to Dexmedetomidine group (group D) and Midazolam group (group M). In the Dexmedetomidine group,Dexmedetomidine was first intravenously infused at a dosage of 0.5 μg/kg for 10 min and followed by continuous infusion at a rate of 0.2 μg/(kg?h). In the Midazolam group, Midazolam was intravenously infused at a loading dosage of 0.06 mg/kg, then continued at a rate of 0.4 mg/(kg?h). MAP, RR, SpO2, HR, MOAA/S, BIS, off-machine ventilation time and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups before medication, 1, 2 and 3 h after infusion. BIS index was maintained between 61 and 75 during ventilation procedure in every patient after sedatives were infused for 3 h. Results The differences of MAP, RR, SpO2, HR and MOAA/S at the corresponding time points during mechanical ventilation procedure were not statistically significant between the two groups (P > 0.05).Compared with the premedication values, RR and HR were significantly decreased, while MOAA/S increased in both groups (P < 0.05). At each time point after sedation, BIS and MOAA/S in the gourp D were higher than those in the group M (P < 0.05), the incidences of hypotension and bradycardia in the group D were lower than those in the group M (P < 0.05). The time from ICU admission to enablement of off-machine ventilation and off-machine ventilation period were shorter in the group D than in the group M (P < 0.05). Conclusions Continuous infusion of Dexmedetomidine 0.2 μg/(kg?h) or Midazolam 0.4 mg/(kg?h) facilitates the sedative effect in elderly patients with mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery in ICU. Under the equivalent level of sedation, Dexmedetomidine could shorten the time for off-machine ventilation, and decrease the incidences of adverse reactions.