It is widely known that desflurane provides fast emergence but with a high incidence of emergence agitation. This study was designed to investigate the emergence agitation resulting from thiopental or ketamine induction with desflurane anesthesia for pediatric patients.
MethodsForty patients, aged 3-8 years, scheduled for a tonsillectomy or a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy were randomly allocated into two groups. Anesthesia was induced using 5 mg/kg thiopental sodium (Group T patients) or 2 mg/kg ketamine (Group K patients), and was maintained using O2-N2O-desflurane. The recovery time and incidence of emergence agitation were assessed.
ResultsThe incidence of emergence agitation was less in patients in the ketamine induction group. There were no differences in the recovery time and reported side effects.
ConclusionsWe conclude that ketamine induction provides less emergence agitation when compared to thiopental induction for desflurane anesthesia for a pediatric tonsillectomy or a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy without delayed recovery.