Comparison of emergence and recovery characteristics of sevoflurane and desflurane in pediatric patients undergoing ambulatory surgery

Introduction: Emergence and recovery is a common problem after general anesthesia especially in the pediatric age group. Sevoflurane and desflurane both provide smooth and rapid recovery with minimal side effects. So we decided to compare both agents in terms of emergence and recovery characteristics to find out the better agent. Materials and methods: This prospective, randomized, double blind study involved 80 children divided into two groups (n=40 each). Patients were induced with IV propofol 2mg/kg, fentanyl 2 ?g/kg and inj atracurium 0.5mg/kg. Group I was maintained with oxygen: air: sevoflurane and group II on oxygen: air: desflurane. Emergence time defined as the time from discontinuation of anesthetics to extubation. Recovery time was measured from the time of discontinuation of anesthetic until the achievement of Steward Recovery Score of 6. Results: Desflurane exhibited shorter emergence (5.85 + 1.21 vs 11.75 + 1.84 min) and recovery time (11.7 + 2.08 vs 20 + 3.06 min) as compared to sevoflurane. PAED scale score for desflurane was significantly higher (3.35 ± 0.92) compared to that of sevoflurane (1.75 ±0.71) implying higher incidence of agitation and excitement than sevoflurane. Conclusion: We recommend use of sevoflurane in pediatric patients for ambulatory surgery in view of less incidence of emergence delirium than desflurane.