Objective: To determine the incidence of cough with the administration of desflurane and sevoflurane through a laryngeal mask.
Methods: A double-blind controlled clinical trial in 90 patients who received general anesthesia for ear, nose and throat surgery outpatient. The experimental group (n = 45) inhaled desflurane and the control group (n = 45) inhaled sevoflurane. Rugloop simulation software was used to assure that each patient was under the effect of the induction agent (propofol). The Gasman program was used to ascertain that a minimum alveolar concentration of 1 had been achieved before the hypnotic effect of propofol was lost. Cough was evaluated on the Shahbaz scale during the 10 minutes following induction and at the end of the procedure.
Results: Cough in the first 10 minutes was recorded in 53.6% of patients in the desflurane group and in 2.4% in the sevoflurane group (P < .05). Between-group differences were also evident at the end of surgery (desflurane group, 24%; sevoflurane group, 9.7%; P< .05).
Conclusion: The patients who inhaled desflurane through a laryngeal mask had a higher incidence of cough than those who inhaled sevoflurane. The mechanism by which cough is being triggered by desflurane should be studied to determine whether the effect is chemical or mechanical and whether it is acting in the larynx or in the distal portion of the lung.