Military medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Simplified use of mixed propofol and alfentanil for anesthesia in remote locations.
Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) is a useful technique in precarious situations in which anesthesia ventilators and medical gas can be difficult to obtain. The aim of the study is to compare TIVA technique using a simplified infusion scheme for propofol and alfentanil mixed together (45 ml of propofol 1% and 2,500 micrograms of alfentanil in a 50-ml syringe) with an inhalational anesthetic technique (isoflurane/N2O, sufentanil). Thirty-two American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I patients undergoing orthopedic surgery were studied. ⋯ Only patients receiving TIVA had responses to surgery. In the TIVA group, time to extubation was shorter (16 +/- 5 vs. 25 +/- 7 minutes) and postoperative requirement for morphine was lower (6.2% vs. 25%) than in the inhalation group (p < 0.05). TIVA using a mixture of propofol and alfentanil is a reliable technique of anesthesia in patients without multiple injuries.