DESFLURANE MAINTAINS INTRAOCULAR-PRESSURE AT AN EQUIVALENT LEVEL TO ISOFLURANE AND PROPOFOL DURING UNSTRESSED NON-OPHTHALMIC SURGERY

We have investigated the effects of desflurane compared with isofluran e and propofol on intraocular pressure (IOP) in 48 ASA I-II patients u ndergoing elective non-ophthalmic surgery. Anaesthesia was induced wit h thiopental 3-5 mg kg(-1), fentanyl 2-4 mu g kg(-1) and vecuronium 0. 1 mg kg(-1). Patients were allocated randomly to receive propofol (n=1 6) 4-8 mg kg(-1) h(-1), isoflurane (n=16) or desflurane (n=16) for mai ntenance of anaesthesia. Fentanyl was added if necessary. The lungs we re ventilated with 70% nitrous oxide in oxygen. Arterial pressure, ele ctrocardiography, heart rate and end-tidal carbon dioxide were measure d throughout anaesthesia. IOP was measured before surgery, during main tenance and after emergence from anaesthesia with applanation tonometr y by an ophthalmologist blinded to the anaesthetic technique. There wa s a significant decrease in IOP after induction of anaesthesia which d id not differ between groups. Desflurane maintained IOP at an equivale nt level to isoflurane and propofol.