Evaluation of Dexmedetomidine’s Effect on Temperature in Obese Critically Ill Patients

Introduction: Previous literature showed an association between hyperthermia and dexmedetomidine (DEX) use for ongoing sedation in non-obese patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate DEX’s effect on temperature in obese critically ill patients. Methods: This single center, retrospective, cohort study included patients ≥18 years, admitted to a surgical or medical ICU, received DEX for ≥8 hours as a single continuous infusion sedative, and weighed ≥120% of ideal body weight. Patients were excluded if they had a fever (≥38°C) and positive cultures within 48 hours of DEX initiation. The primary endpoint was a fever (Tmax of ≥38°C) within 48 hours of DEX initiation. Results: A total of 186 patients were included for evaluation. Forty-two patients (22.5%) had a fever during the first 48 hours of DEX initiation. Median weight was not different between the febrile and afebrile groups (99.4 [90.6-122.4] vs 97.6 [81.6-114.2] kg, P = .6). Median change from baseline temperature for all patients within 48 hours was an increase of .5 (.1-.8) °C, P < .001. In multiple regression analysis, duration of DEX and baseline temperature were the only significant predictors of fever development with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.041 (95% CI 1.009-1.074, P = .012) and 7.058 (95% CI 3.307-15.064, P < .001), respectively. Conclusions: This study suggests that there is a significant increase in body temperature from baseline for obese patients on DEX. Duration of DEX and baseline temperature were found to be risk factors for fever development in this population. Further studies are warranted.