RECOVERY OF PSYCHOMOTOR FUNCTION FOLLOWING GENERAL-ANESTHESIA IN CHILDREN - A COMPARISON OF PROPOFOL AND THIOPENTONE HALOTHANE/

The present study was undertaken to compare immediate recovery and rec overy of complex psychomotor function in 20 children (aged 6-12 years) following general anaesthesia with either thiopentone/halothane or pr opofol. Early recovery of psychomotor skills was significantly faster in the propofol group than in the thiopentone/halothane group. Compare d to preanaesthesia baseline the sedation and cooperation scores, the reaction time to visual and auditory stimuli as well as the postbox te st and the flicker fusion frequency were less impaired after propofol than after thiopentone/halothane anaesthesia up to 120 min postoperati vely. In the propofol group most tests reached preanaesthesia levels a fter 120 min, while in the thiopentone/halothane group these levels we re not reattained throughout the entire study period. The results indi cate that the recovery of psychomotor function in paediatric patients following general anaesthesia with propofol is significantly faster th an with thiopentone/halothane. This has important implications for par ental satisfaction, the time over which patients need to be monitored in the recovery room and for the discharge criteria after daycase surg ery.