A COMPARISON OF THIOPENTONE ISOFLURANE ANESTHESIA VS PROPOFOL INFUSION IN CHILDREN HAVING REPEAT MINOR HEMATOLOGICAL PROCEDURES/

We have performed a randomized, cross over study in 22 children suffer ing from acute leukaemia, who underwent repeated anaesthesia for bone marrow aspiration and lumbar puncture. For their first anaesthetic, th e children (aged 3-10 years old) received, either a thiopentone/isoflu rane anaesthetic or intravenous propofol, both supplemented with nitro us oxide. On a second occasion they received the alternative technique . Of those children receiving thiopentone/isoflurane, 32% had signific ant coughing during anaesthesia, two progressing to laryngospasm requi ring 100% oxygen. None of the patients receiving propofol had a respir atory disturbance (P = 0.016). 68% of the children preferred the propo fol anaesthetic. Only one child in the thiopentone/isoflurane group pr eferred this technique. Twenty-seven per cent had no preference. There was no significant difference in length of anaesthetic time (P=0.07) or the time taken for recovery (P=0.17) between the two groups. There was a large individual variation in propofol requirements and movement was common during stimulation of patients in this group, though this did not adversely affect the surgical procedure.