Efficacy of single-dose dexmedetomidine combined with low-dose remifentanil infusion for cough suppression compared to high-dose remifentanil infusion: A randomized, controlled, non inferiority trial

Combination of dexmedetomidine and opioid may be an alternative to high-dose opioid in attenuating cough during emergence from anesthesia, while also reducing the adverse effects of high-dose opioid. We tested the hypothesis that a single-dose of dexmedetomidine combined with low-dose remifentanil infusion during emergence would not be inferior to high-dose remifentanil infusion alone in attenuating cough after thyroidectomy.