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Encyclopedia of Pain pp 58–61Cite as

Alpha(α) 2-Adrenergic Agonists in Pain Treatment

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Synonyms

Alpha(α) 2-Agonists; α2c-adrenoceptor agonists; α2-receptor agonists; α2-adrenergic agonists; Alpha(α) 2-Adrenergic Receptor Agonists; α-agonists

Definition

Alpha2-adrenergic agonists are drugs that mediate their analgesic (antinociceptive) effects by acting on α2-adrenoceptors (α2A, α2B, α2C) in the peripheral and central nervous system.

Characteristics

Indications and Patients

Alpha2-adrenoceptor (α2AR) agonists are used for treatment of acute (intra- and post-operative) as well as chronic (neuropathic) pain states. They are effective in patients of all age groups. α2AR agonists have also been safely used in pregnancy, labour and during caesarean sections. Furthermore, there is evidence that they provide haemodynamic stability in patients with co-existing cardiovascular diseases during phases of noxious stimulation (e.g. orotracheal intubation) by attenuating the sympathetic response.

Dose and Route of Administration (Table 1)

With clonidine being the prototypical α2AR...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Magill Department of Anaesthetics, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London, UK

    Carsten Bantel & Mervyn Maze

  2. Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Laura Stone & George Wilcox

Authors
  1. Carsten Bantel
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  2. Mervyn Maze
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  3. Laura Stone
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  4. George Wilcox
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physiological Institute, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Robert F. Schmidt

  2. Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA

    William D. Willis

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Bantel, C., Maze, M., Stone, L., Wilcox, G. (2007). Alpha(α) 2-Adrenergic Agonists in Pain Treatment. In: Schmidt, R., Willis, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_165

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_165

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43957-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29805-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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