Objective Emergence agitation (EA) has a multifactorial origin, and the effect of sugammadex on EA has not been established. We investigated the effect of sugammadex on EA incidence and severity. Methods We performed a retrospective study of children aged 1 to 13 years who underwent strabismus surgery. Patients received sugammadex or conventional neuromuscular reversal agents. The primary outcome variables were EA incidence and severity. Secondary outcome variables were postoperative fentanyl use, postoperative nausea and vomiting, time from reversal agent administration to extubation, time from the end of surgery to arrival in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and time spent in the PACU. We used propensity score matching to eliminate baseline imbalances. Results Age, sex, use of desflurane, and intraoperative fentanyl were significant predictors of agitation severity using a multivariable analysis. Sugammadex did not significantly affect EA in logistic regression and multiple regression analyses. In the propensity-matched analysis, patients in the sugammadex group showed rapid recovery, but there was no difference in the EA incidence or severity. Conclusion Sugammadex did not affect EA incidence or severity compared with conventional cholinesterase inhibitors, although it showed a favorable recovery profile in children undergoing strabismus surgery.
Keywords: Emergence agitation; cholinesterase inhibitor; general anesthesia; pediatric; strabismus; sugammadex; surgery.