Isoflurane versus desflurane: hemodynamic parametersand recovery characteristics: a comparative study

Introduction Inhaled volatile anesthetics remain the most widely used drugs for maintenance of general anesthesia because of their ease of administration and predictable intraoperative and recovery characteristics. Management of hemodynamic stability and early recovery is the most important part of a standardized balanced technique. Given the low blood–gas partition coefficients of isoflurane (1.4) and desflurane (0.42), a more rapid emergence from anesthesia is expected compared with traditional inhalation anesthetics, The aim of this study was to compare the hemodynamic, emergence, and recovery characteristics of isoflurane with those of desflurane in general anesthesia for patients undergoing pelviabdominal operations.Patients and methodsNinety ASA I patients aged 15–50 years scheduled for elective abdominal or pelvic surgeries were enrolled in the study. Patients were allocated randomly into one of two groups (45 patients each): group I and group D. Group I patients received isoflurane (Forane) for maintenance of general anesthesia after a standardized induction sequence. Group D patients received desflurane (Suprane) for maintenance of general anesthesia after a standardized induction sequence.ResultsIn the hemodynamic parameters, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in heart rate (after induction, after intubation, before skin incision, after skin incision, 5 min later, 10, 15, and 20 min later) (P 0.05), but there was a significant increase in group D at 25, 30, 35, and 40 min later, just before extubation, and just after extubation (P 0.05). On comparing the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure, there were no significant differences between the two groups before induction, after induction, 5, 10, 15, 25, and 30 min later, just before extubation, and just after extubation (P 0.05), but there was a significant increase in group D after intubation, after skin incision, and 20, 35, and 40 min later (P 0.05).In terms of postoperative complications and depth of anesthesia by the bispectral index, there were no significant differences between the study groups, but in terms of recovery characteristics, desflurane was more rapid.ConclusionThe results of the study indicate that desflurane has better hemodynamic parameters and recovery characteristics in comparison with isoflurane in patients undergoing electivepelviabdominal operations.