 As such, it should be used with caution in people with liver disease.The majority of metabolized dexmedetomidine is excreted in the urine (~95%).Dexmedetomidine was approved in 1999 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a short-term sedative and analgesic (<24 hours) for critically ill or injured people on mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU).