Dexmedetomidine to Treat Hiccups During Anesthetic Care in an Adolescent Female.

The clinical applications of dexmedetomidine in infants and children have included sedation during mechanical ventilation, prevention of post-anesthesia delirium, control of procedure-related pain and anxiety, and treatment of shivering. We present anecdotal experience with the use of dexmedetomidine to treat hiccups that developed intraoperatively in an adolescent following the induction of anesthesia and placement of a laryngeal mask airway. The neural pathways and neurotransmitters involved with hiccups are reviewed, options for intraoperative treatment presented, and previous reports of the use of dexmedetomidine in this clinical scenario discussed.