AANA journal
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of the recovery times of desflurane and isoflurane in outpatient anesthesia.
The low solubility of desflurane has been shown to contribute to faster awakening from anesthesia when compared with other anesthetics in common use. However, research has failed to consistently demonstrate faster discharge times from the postanesthesia care unit following the use of desflurane. This study was undertaken to compare the recovery and discharge times of outpatients undergoing procedures greater than 2 hours in length. ⋯ The results demonstrated no differences between the emergence or discharge times following desflurane or isoflurane. In addition, measured parameters, such as intraoperative vital signs and postoperative emesis and opioid requirements, were not different between the groups. The use of desflurane as part of a balanced anesthetic technique did not speed the emergence or discharge time when compared with isoflurane.