Decreased respiratory depression during emergence from anesthesia with sevoflurane/N2O than with sevoflurane alone.

PURPOSE

To investigate ventilation and gas elimination during the emergence from inhalational anesthesia with controlled normoventilation with either sevoflurane/N2O or sevoflurane alone.

METHODS

Twenty-four ASA I-II patients scheduled for abdominal hysterectomy were randomly allocated to receive either 1.3 MAC sevoflurane/N2O (n = 12) or equi-MAC sevoflurane (n = 12) in 30% oxygen (O2). Expired minute ventilation volumes (V(E)), end-tidal (ET) concentrations of O2, carbon dioxide (CO2), sevoflurane and N2O as well as pulse oximetry saturation (SpO2) and CO2 elimination rates (VCO2) were measured. The ET concentrations of sevoflurane and N2O were converted to total MAC values and gas elimination was expressed in terms of MAC reduction. Time to resumption of spontaneous breathing and extubation were recorded and arterial blood gas analysis was performed at the end of controlled normoventilation and at the beginning of spontaneous breathing.

RESULTS

Resumption of spontaneous breathing and extubation were 8 and 13 min less, respectively, in the sevoflurane/N2O than in the sevoflurane group. Spontaneous breathing was resumed in both groups when pH had decreased by 0.07-0.08 and PaCO2 increased by 1.3-1.5 kPa. Depression of V(E) and VCO2 were less, and MAC reduction more rapid in the sevoflurane/N2O than in the sevoflurane group.

CONCLUSIONS

Respiratory recovery was faster after sevoflurane/N2O than sevoflurane anesthesia. Changes in pH and PaCO2 rather than absolute values were important for resumption of spontaneous breathing after controlled normoventilation. In both groups, the tracheas were extubated at about 0.2 MAC.