J. Jakobsson et al., ANESTHESIA DURING LAPAROSCOPIC GYNECOLOGICAL SURGERY - A COMPARISON BETWEEN DESFLURANE AND ISOFLURANE, European journal of anaesthesiology, 14(2), 1997, pp. 148-152
Desflurane is a new inhalation anaesthetic with a low blood/gas solubi
lity which should allow a fast emergence from anaesthesia. In a prospe
ctive open randomized study, desflurane was compared with isoflurane p
aying special attention to recovery and the quality of the post-operat
ive period. The occurrence of pain and post-operative nausea and vomit
ing (PONV) was recorded during the first 20 post-operative hours. Seve
nty women ASA Grade I-II scheduled for elective gynaecological laparos
copic procedures were studied. Patients receiving desflurane were extu
bated earlier than patients receiving isoflurane, 5 +/- 1 and 9 +/- 1
min respectively (P<0.05) and the patients anaesthetized with desflura
ne were able to tell their name and date on average 5 min earlier than
those who had received isoflurane; however, time in the recovery room
was the same for both groups of patients. Twenty-two of 35 patients r
eceiving desflurane, and 18 of 35 receiving isoflurane required analge
sia. PONV was recorded in 18 patients anaesthetized with desflurane an
d 12 patients anaesthetized with isoflurane. In both groups PONV was m
ore frequently observed in patients after leaving the recovery room. P
ONV in the recovery room was associated with a delayed discharge, 139
vs. 114 min respectively. Desflurane seems to be an useful alternative
to isoflurane for laparoscopic procedures.