PURPOSE: The effects of sevoflurane and propofol, in combination with continuous epidural blockade, on blood pressure control and time of recovery from anesthesia were compared. METHODS:Adult patients were allocated to either a sevoflurane (n=54) or a propofol (n=64) group. Anesthesia was induced with either inhalation of 5% sevoflurane or intravenous administration of 2 mg·kg-1 propofol. After an injection of vecuronium, the trachea was intubated and anesthesia was maintained with continuous epidural blockade, air/oxygen, and sevoflurane or propofol. The systolic arterial pressure was maintained within ±30% of that obtained on the ward. RESULTS: The number of cases requiring a change in the dose of either anesthetics or vasoactive agents was not different between the groups. However, the arterial pressure and heart rate were more stable in the propofol group than in the sevoflurane group (P<0.05). The length of time before tracheal extubation was shorter in the sevoflurane group (10.4±5.2 min, mean±SD) than the propofol group (15.0±11.2 min,P<0.05). CONCLUSION:Propofol anesthesia, in combination with continuous epidural blockade, results in more stable intraoperative hemodynamics than sevoflurane anesthesia, but requries a longer recovery time and results in larger interindividual variability than sevoflurane anesthesia.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: The effects of sevoflurane and propofol, in combination with continuous epidural blockade, on blood pressure control and time of recovery from anesthesia were compared. METHODS: Adult patients were allocated to either a sevoflurane (n=54) or a propofol (n=64) group. Anesthesia was induced with either inhalation of 5% sevoflurane or intravenous administration of 2 mg·kg-1 propofol. After an injection of vecuronium, the trachea was intubated and anesthesia was maintained with continuous epidural blockade, air/oxygen, and sevoflurane or propofol. The systolic arterial pressure was maintained within ±30% of that obtained on the ward. RESULTS: The number of cases requiring a change in the dose of either anesthetics or vasoactive agents was not different between the groups. However, the arterial pressure and heart rate were more stable in the propofol group than in the sevoflurane group (P<0.05). The length of time before tracheal extubation was shorter in the sevoflurane group (10.4±5.2 min, mean±SD) than the propofol group (15.0±11.2 min,P<0.05). CONCLUSION:Propofol anesthesia, in combination with continuous epidural blockade, results in more stable intraoperative hemodynamics than sevoflurane anesthesia, but requries a longer recovery time and results in larger interindividual variability than sevoflurane anesthesia.