Background: The effect of volatile anesthetics on emergence agitation in adults remains unclear. We compared the degree of emergence agitation between desflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia in adults undergoing thyroid surgery.
Findings: One hundred and sixteen patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists status 1 or 2 were randomized into two groups: the desflurane group (group D) and the sevoflurane group (group S). After induction of anesthesia with fentanyl (1-2 μg/kg) and propofol (1.5-2.5 mg/kg), tracheal intubation was facilitated with suxamethonium (0.5-1.0 mg/kg). In group D, anesthesia was maintained with desflurane in 66% nitrous oxide and 33% oxygen supplemented with fentanyl when necessary; in group S, sevoflurane was used instead of desflurane. After the end of the surgery, emergence agitation was evaluated with a modified pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium scale (ranging from 0 to 16, with higher scores indicating more severe emergence agitation) before extubation. Time to extubation from the end of the surgery, postoperative pain (evaluated by a numerical rating scale [NRS]), and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after surgery were examined. The degree of emergence agitation was more severe in group D than in group S (median [interquartile range]: 5 [4-7] vs 4 [2-6], p = 0.008). Time to extubation, NRS scores, and PONV rates were similar between the two groups.
Conclusions: Desflurane anesthesia worsened emergence agitation as compared with sevoflurane in adult patients undergoing thyroid surgery, but did not affect time to extubation, postoperative pain, or PONV.
Trial registration: UMIN000014215.
Keywords: Adult patients; Emergence agitation; Thyroid surgery; Volatile anesthetics.