ANESTHESIA FOR INSERTION OF EAR TUBES IN CHILDREN COMPARISON OF PROPOFOL, THIOPENTONE AND HALOTHANE

To determine the quality of anaesthesia and speed of recovery after pr opofol anaesthesia for myringotomy in children, 100 children 2-12 year s were randomized to one of four anaesthetic regimens for induction/ma intenance: thiopentone (STP) (5 mg . kg(-1))/halothane, propofol (3 mg . kg(-1))/halothane, halothane/halothane or propofol (3 mg . kg(-1))/ propofol bolus (0.5 mg . kg(-1) every 3 min (10 mg . kg(-1). h(-1))). Nitrous oxide (70%) in oxygen (30%) was used to facilitate insertion o f an intravenous catheter and was continued throughout the anaesthetic . We found that the incidence of intraoperative movement in response t o surgical stimulation was significantly greater in the prop/prop grou p 32%, compared with the three other groups (P<0.02). Although some re covery variables (time to response to questions, sit unaided, tolerate oral fluids, and discharge with fluids) were achieved more rapidly by the prop/prop group than the other three groups, the times to open ey es, obey commands and, most importantly, discharge from recovery witho ut fluids did not differ between the prop/prop and the hal/hal groups. We conclude that there is little benefit in using propofol as an indu ction agent alone or in combination with a propofol maintenance anaest hetic for paediatric myringotomy and tube surgery.