This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Google Scholar Articles by White, P. F. Articles by Zaentz, A. PubMed Articles by White, P. F. Articles by Zaentz, A. Related Collections Ambulatory Postanesthetic Care Unit Complications Clinical Pharmacology Pharmacology

---

AMBULATORY ANESTHESIOLOGY

Desflurane Versus Sevoflurane for Maintenance of Outpatient Anesthesia: The Effect on Early Versus Late Recovery and Perioperative Coughing

Paul F. White, PhD, MD, FANZCA^*, Jun Tang, MD, Ronald H. Wender, MD, Roya Yumul, MD, PhD, O. Jameson Stokes, MS, MD, Alexander Sloninsky, MD, Robert Naruse, MD, Robert Kariger, MD, Evelyn Norel, MD, Steven Mandel, MD, Tom Webb, MD, and Alan Zaentz, MD

From the *Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas; and Department of Anesthesiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. P. F. White, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., F2.208, Dallas, TX 75390-9068. Address e-mail to paul.white{at}utsouthwestern.edu.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is controversy regarding the relative perioperative benefits of desflurane versus sevoflurane when used for maintenance of anesthesia in the ambulatory setting. Although studies have consistently demonstrated a faster emergence with desflurane (versus sevoflurane), the impact of this difference on the later recovery end points has not been definitively established. Furthermore, the effect of desflurane (versus sevoflurane) on the incidence of coughing is also controversial.

METHODS: We randomized 130 outpatients undergoing superficial surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia to one of two maintenance anesthetic treatment groups. All patients were induced with propofol, 2 mg/kg IV, and after placement of a laryngeal mask airway, anesthesia was maintained with either sevoflurane 1%–3% or desflurane 3%–8% in an air/oxygen mixture. The inspired concentration of the volatile anesthetic was varied to maintain hemodynamic stability and a Bispectral Index value of 50–60. Analgesia was provided with local anesthetic infiltration and ketorolac (30 mg IV). Antiemetic prophylaxis consisted of a combination of ondansetron (4 mg), dexamethasone (4 mg), and metoclopramide (10 mg) at the end of surgery. Assessments included recovery times to eye opening, response to commands, orientation, fast-track score of 14, first oral intake, sitting, standing, ambulating unassisted, and actual discharge. Patient satisfaction with anesthesia, the ability to resume normal activities on the first postoperative day, adverse side effects (e.g., coughing, purposeful movement, oxygen desaturation <90%, sore throat, postoperative nausea, and vomiting), and the requirement for postoperative analgesic and antiemetic drugs were recorded in the early postoperative period and during the initial 24-h period after discharge.

RESULTS: The two study groups had comparable demographic characteristics. Although the overall incidence of coughing during the perioperative period was higher in the desflurane group (60% versus 32% in the sevoflurane group, P < 0.05), the incidences of coughing during the actual administration of the volatile anesthetics (i.e., the maintenance period) did not differ between the two groups. Emergence from anesthesia was more rapid after desflurane; however, all patients achieved fast-track recovery criteria (fast-track score 12) before leaving the operating room. Finally, the time to discharge home (90 ± 31 min in sevoflurane and 98 ± 35 min in desflurane, respectively) and the percentage of patients able to resume normal activities on the first postoperative day (sevoflurane 48% and desflurane 60%) did not differ significantly between the two anesthetic groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Use of desflurane for maintenance of anesthesia was associated with a faster emergence and a higher incidence of coughing. Despite the faster initial recovery with desflurane, no significant differences were found between the two volatile anesthetics in the later recovery period. Both volatile anesthetics should be available for ambulatory anesthesia.