A COMPARISON OF THE RECOVERY CHARACTERISTICS OF SEVOFLURANE AND HALOTHANE IN CHILDREN

The recovery characteristics of sevoflurane and halothane anaesthesia were compared in 40 children aged 6 months to 6 years undergoing day c ase surgery. The mean time taken to open eyes after surgery had ended was appreciably and significantly shorter after. sevoflurane than afte r. halothane (sevoflurane, mean time (SD) 7 min 52 s (5 min 46s), halo thane, mean time (SD) 15 min 50 s (9 min 2 s), t = 3.32, p = 0.002). T he time taken to be ready for discharge from the recovery unit to the ward was also significantly shorter after sevoflurane than after halot hane (sevoflurane, mean time (SD) 12 min 46s (4 min 11 s): halothane, mean time (SD) 19 min 13s (9 min 48s), t = 2.7, p < 0.01). However, mo re children were in pain and given analgesia after sevoflurane (p < 0. 01) and the mean time to reach the criteria for discharge home was sim ilar in both groups (sevoflurane, mean time (SD) 2 h 9 min (17 min), h alothane, mean time (SD) 2 h 4 min (8 min)). There were no major compl ications in either group.