Recovery time after ultrabrief anaesthesia. A comparison of four techniques.

Recovery time after ultrabrief anaesthesia for minor gynaecological procedures was shown to be significantly and appreciably longer after thiopentone induction than after Althesin (alphaxalone and alphadolone), etomidate or propanidid. Suitable anaesthesia was provided by all techniques, but propanidid is associated with a 51% rise in pulse rate and etomidate with an 18% slowing. Twenty-seven per cent of patients anaesthetized with propanidid or etomidate were nauseous or vomited immediately postoperatively. Oxytocin 5 U given as an intravenous bolus for uterine contraction markedly increased heart rate (+ 29%). Althesin is now excluded on the basis of occasional adverse reactions; none of the techniques used is entirely satisfactory.