Do anaesthetized patients recover better after bispectral index monitoring?

Could Bispectral Index (BIS) monitoring during anaesthesia improve the reco very characteristics of patients? Previous studies have shown conflicting r esults. To eliminate bias, a control group of 75 cases anaesthetized by the authors was compared to a reference group of 141 cases anaesthetized by ot her anaesthetists. A study group of 71 cases was then anaesthetized by the authors titrating to BIS 40-50 and this was compared with the control group . Recovery characteristics were assessed using a Modified Aldrete score. BIS monitored cases had improvements in blood pressure stability (P = 0.023) an d respiratory score (P = 0.016) throughout the study period. Activity and c onsciousness levels were higher on arrival in PACU in the BIS monitored gro up (P = 0.015 and P = 0.017) but were not maintained. There was no signific ant difference in mean oxygen saturation scores. The improved recovery characteristics in BIS monitored patients may have po sitive implications for safety, nursing workload, staffing, and cost saving s in the PACU.