Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory complications.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (N = 148) underwent general anesthesia with halothane (H) or isoflurane (I) each administered randomly to 74 patients. One hundred and ten pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables were analyzed, including outcome variables, which included intra- and postoperative respiratory complications. Univariate computer analyses demonstrated no differences between H and I groups with respect to all variables, the exception being tachycardia, which occurred significantly more frequently in patients given I. Log-linear analyses revealed that no interactions existed between H or I groups, the non-outcome variables, and the complications. We conclude that patients with COPD respond similarly to H and I and that these anesthetics are associated with similar incidences of respiratory complications.