Clinical efficacy of remifentanil or ketamine for pediatric general anesthesia

Objective To evaluate the anesthetic effect and safety of remifentanil combined with propofol or ketamine combined with propofol in pediatric patients undergoing short and minor operations under general anesthesia without tracheal intubation.Methods Forty children who were going to receive short and minor operations were randomly divided into two groups:group R(group remifentanil) and group K(group ketamine).Anesthesia was induced and maintained with micro-pump infusion of propofol and remifentanil or propofol and ketamine.The heart rate(HR),mean arterial blood pressure(MAP),respiration rate(RR) and pulse oxygen saturation(SpO2) in two groups were measured during intraoperative anesthesia.The post-operative awake time,anesthesia recovery time and the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting were also recorded.Results Compared with pre-operation,MAP and HR during surgery in group R decreased significantly after anesthesia,whereas MAP and HR in group K did not alter at all(P0.05).The incidences of respiratory depression and postoperative nausea and vomiting in group R was notably higher than group K(P0.05).Conclusion Micro-pump infusion of ketamine and propofol is superior to remifentanil and propofol in aspects of maintaining hemodynamic stability and reducing the incidences of respiratory depression and postoperative nausea and vomiting.Thus this regimen makes pediatric general anesthesia without tracheal intubation more stable and safer.