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Study Objective: The effect of volatile anesthetics on postoperative recovery in older adults is still not entirely clear. Thus, we evaluated the effect of desflurane versus sevoflurane anesthesia on speed of postoperative recovery in older adults eligible for same-day discharge. We further evaluated the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), bispectral index (BIS) values, and S100B concentrations., Design: Single-center, prospective, observer-blinded, randomized clinical trial., Setting: Operating room., Patients: 190 patients ≥65 years of age and scheduled for minor- to moderate-risk noncardiac surgeries., Interventions: Goal-directed administration of desflurane versus sevoflurane for maintenance of anesthesia with an intraoperative goal of BIS 50 ± 5., Measurements: The primary outcome was the time to anesthesia recovery, which was defined as the time between arrival at the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and reaching criteria for discharge from PACU, based on modified Aldrete score ≥ 12 points. Modified Aldrete scores were assessed at PACU arrival and thereafter in five-minute intervals. PONV was evaluated during PACU stay and the first three postoperative days, BIS values were recorded during PACU stay, and S100B values were measured before and after surgery, and on the second postoperative day., Main Results: 95 patients were randomized to receive desflurane, and 95 patients to receive sevoflurane. We did not observe a significant difference in median duration of postoperative recovery between the groups (desflurane: 0 min [0;0]; sevoflurane: 0 min [0;0]; p = 0.245). 77 patients (81.1%) in the desflurane group and 84 patients (88.4%) in the sevoflurane group already had Aldrete scores ≥12 points upon arrival at PACU (p = 0.277). There was also no significant difference in the incidences of PONV (p = 0.606), postoperative BIS values (p = 0.197), and postoperative maximum S100B concentrations (p = 0.821) between the groups., Conclusions: Despite previous reports, we did not observe significant faster recovery times after desflurane anesthesia. Both volatile anesthetics may be appropriate for same-day discharge in older adults., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the effect of propofol, sevoflurane, and dexmedetomidine on respiratory complications in children undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB)., Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted among 120 children aged 1 month to 3 years undergoing FOB. The patients were randomized into 3 groups ( n =40) for anesthesia induction with sevoflurane inhalation, 1 mg/kg propofol, or 1 μg/kg dexmedetomidine before bronchoscopy, and the changes in hemodynamic parameters, sedation level, and respiratory complications during and after the procedure were assessed., Results: The patients' heart rate during bronchoscopy was significantly lower and the mean arterial blood pressure significantly higher in dexmedetomidine group than in sevoflurane and propofol groups ( P < 0.05). Cough during bronchoscopy did not occur in any of the cases in propofol group, while the highest frequency of cough was recorded in dexmedetomidine group. The incidence of laryngospasm in the propofol group (12.5%) was significantly lower than those in sevoflurane and dexmedetomidine groups (30% and 32.5%, respectively) ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Sevoflurane and propofol are safe and suitable for anesthesia induction in children below 3 years of age undergoing diagnostic FOB and can achieve better sedative effect and lower the incidences of cough and respiratory complications as compared with dexmedetomidine.

Sevoflurane has been shown to increase the incidence of emergence delirium in children; however, the mechanism remains unclear. Sevoflurane increases cytoplasmic calcium concentration which in turn may play a role in emergence delirium. This study aimed to investigate the level of intracellular calcium in rats experiencing hyperexcitatory behavior after exposure to sevoflurane, as well as the role of magnesium in preventing this phenomenon. After ethical approval, 2-5-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 34) were insufflated with sevoflurane in a modified anesthesia chamber. One group received magnesium sulphate intraperitoneally. After termination of sevoflurane exposure, the occurrence of hyperexcitation was observed. Brain tissue samples from the rats were studied for intracellular calcium levels under a two-channel laser scanning confocal microscope and were quantitatively calculated using ratiometric calculation. The presence of inflammation or oxidative stress reaction was assessed using nuclear factor κB and malondialdehyde. The incidence of hyperexcitatory behavior post sevoflurane exposure was 9 in 16 rats in the observation group and none in the magnesium group. Tests for inflammation and oxidative stress were within normal limits in both groups. The rats showing hyperexcitation had a higher level of cytosol calcium concentration compared to the other groups. To conclude, the calcium concentration of neocortical neurons in Sprague-Dawley rats with hyperexcitatory behavior is increased after exposure to sevoflurane. Administration of magnesium sulphate can prevent the occurrence of hyperexcitation in experimental animals., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Medical Gas Research.)

Introduction: Postoperative nausea, vomiting, and cough are the most common adverse effects of general anesthesia resulting in high discomfort to the patient resulting in uneasiness during the recovery period. This study aimed to compare the influence of intraoperative use of sevoflurane and isoflurane on postoperative nausea, vomiting, and cough., Materials and Methods: After approval from the institutional ethical committee, this quantitative observational institutional study was conducted on all patients aged between 18 and 65 years undergoing surgery under general anesthesia at KMC Hospital, Mangalore. Patients were allocated into the sevoflurane group or isoflurane group., Results: All demographic parameters such as age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, and duration were comparable (P > 0.05). The sevoflurane group had higher number of patients (11 [14.86%]) with postoperative nausea at 0 h as compared isoflurane group (7 [9.45%]). Two patients in the isoflurane group reported postoperative vomiting at 0 h, whereas no patient in the sevoflurane group reported vomiting. For cough, a statistically significant correlation was seen between the two groups (P = 0.000) with majority of patients in the isoflurane group, i.e., 50 (67.6%) patients reporting cough at 0 h while only 15 (20.3%) reported cough in the sevoflurane group., Conclusion: Sevoflurane was found to be better than isoflurane in terms of postoperative nausea vomiting and cough immediately after emergence in our study. Isoflurane cause the emergence of cough whereas no significant difference in nausea and vomiting was observed in both groups., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Annals of African Medicine.)

BACKGROUND We aimed to assess the effect of dexmedetomidine (Dex) combined with remifentanil on emergence agitation (EA) during awakening from sevoflurane anesthesia for pediatric liver surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty children who underwent liver surgery in our hospital were prospectively selected and randomly allocated into group A (placebo+remifentanil+sevoflurane) or group B (Dex+remifentanil+sevoflurane). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) at different time points, agitation score during awakening, behavioral status, pain level, and the incidence of postoperative adverse effects were compared in both groups. RESULTS Children in group B had lower HR and MAP levels immediately after tracheal extubation and 5 min after tracheal extubation than those in group A. The Aono's scores, PAED agitation scores, and CHIPP scores at 15 min and 30 min of admission to the PACU were lower in group B than in group A. The incidence of agitation during postoperative anesthesia awakening was lower in group B in contrast to group A. There was no significant difference in postoperative adverse reactions between group A and group B. CONCLUSIONS In pediatric liver surgery, the use of Dex+remifentanil+sevoflurane anesthesia can reduce the incidence of EA during the awakening period, stabilize hemodynamic levels, and relieve postoperative pain, and has fewer postoperative adverse effects, which warrants clinical application.

Study Objective: Intraoperative electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns associated with postoperative delirium (POD) development have been studied, but the differences in EEG recordings between sevoflurane- and desflurane-induced anesthesia have not been clarified. We aimed to distinguish the EEG characteristics of sevoflurane and desflurane in relation to POD development., Design and Patients: We collected frontal four-channel EEG data during the maintenance of anesthesia from 148 elderly patients who received sevoflurane (n = 77) or desflurane (n = 71); 30 patients were diagnosed with delirium postoperatively. The patients were divided into four subgroups based on anesthetics and delirium status: sevoflurane delirium (n = 17), sevoflurane non-delirium (n = 60), desflurane delirium (n = 13), and desflurane non-delirium (n = 58). We compared spectral power, coherence, and pairwise phase consistency (PPC) between sevoflurane and desflurane, and between non-delirium and delirium groups for each anesthetic., Main Results: In patients without POD, the sevoflurane non-delirium group exhibited higher EEG spectral power across 8.5-35 Hz (99.5% CI bootstrap analysis) and higher PPC from alpha to gamma bands (p < 0.005) compared to the desflurane non-delirium group. Conversely, in patients with POD, no significant EEG differences were observed between the sevoflurane and desflurane delirium groups. For the sevoflurane-induced patients, the sevoflurane delirium group had significantly lower power within 7.5-31.5 Hz (99.5% CI bootstrap analysis), reduced coherence over 8.9-23.8 Hz (99.5% CI bootstrap analysis), and lower PPC values in the alpha band (p < 0.005) compared with the sevoflurane non-delirium group. For the desflurane-induced patients, there were no significant differences in the EEG patterns between delirium and non-delirium groups., Conclusions: In normal patients without POD, sevoflurane demonstrates a higher power spectrum and prefrontal connectivity than desflurane. Furthermore, reduced frontal alpha power, coherence, and connectivity of intraoperative EEG could be associated with an increased risk of POD. These intraoperative EEG characteristics associated with POD are more noticeable in sevoflurane-induced anesthesia than in desflurane-induced anesthesia., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Pharmacological tolerance is defined as a decrease in the effect of a drug over time, or the need to increase the dose to achieve the same effect. It has not been established whether repeated exposure to sevoflurane induces tolerance in children., Methods: We conducted an observational study in children younger than 6 years of age scheduled for multiple radiotherapy sessions with sevoflurane anesthesia. To evaluate the development of sevoflurane tolerance, we analyzed changes in electroencephalographic spectral power at induction, across sessions. We fitted individual and group-level linear regression models to evaluate the correlation between the outcomes and sessions. In addition, a linear mixed-effect model was used to evaluate the association between radiotherapy sessions and outcomes., Results: Eighteen children were included and the median number of radiotherapy sessions per child was 28 (interquartile range: 10 to 33). There was no correlation between induction time and radiotherapy sessions. At the group level, the linear mixed-effect model showed, in a subgroup of patients, that alpha relative power and spectral edge frequency 95 were inversely correlated with the number of anesthesia sessions. Nonetheless, this subgroup did not differ from the other subjects in terms of age, sex, or the total number of radiotherapy sessions., Conclusions: Our results suggest that children undergoing repeated anesthesia exposure for radiotherapy do not develop tolerance to sevoflurane. However, we found that a group of patients exhibited a reduction in the alpha relative power as a function of anesthetic exposure. These results may have implications that justify further studies., Competing Interests: P.L.P. is an inventor on patents pending on brain monitoring technologies assigned to Massachusetts General Hospital; is an inventor on a patent assigned to Massachusetts General Hospital and licensed nonexclusively to Masimo Corporation; received speaker’s honoraria from Masimo Corporation; and is a cofounder of PASCALL Systems, Inc., a startup company developing closed-loop physiological control systems. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study compared genetic damage and immunological markers between surgical patients who underwent inhalational anesthesia with isoflurane or sevoflurane. Blood samples were collected from surgical patients (n = 18 in the isoflurane group and n = 17 in the sevoflurane group) at baseline (before the anesthesia procedure) and the day after anesthesia. DNA damage was detected using an alkaline comet assay; proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-6 was detected by flow cytometry, and white blood cells were detected via an automatic hematology analyzer. The characteristics of both groups were similar, and neither of the two anesthetics induced DNA damage. Similarly, mild neutrophilia was observed after anesthesia in both groups. Increased IL-6 levels were observed 1 day after anesthesia regardless of the type of anesthetic, but this increase was greater in the isoflurane group. Our study suggested that isoflurane and sevoflurane administration may contribute to changes in the immune parameters measured, though no genotoxic hazard was identified, in healthy adult patients who undergo low-stress surgery., (© 2024 Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society.)

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), a type of gasoline additive, has been found to affect insulin function and glucose homeostasis in animal experiments, but there is still no epidemiological evidence. Zinc (Zn) is a key regulatory element of insulin secretion and function, and Zn homeostasis can be disrupted by MTBE exposure through inducing oxidative stress. Therefore, we suspected that Zn might be involved and play an important role in the process of insulin secretion inhibited by MTBE exposure. In this study, we recruited 201 male subjects including occupational and non-occupational MTBE exposure from Anhui Province, China in 2019. Serum insulin and functional analog fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) and blood MTBE were detected by Elisa and headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. According to MTBE internal exposure level, the workers were divided into low- and high-exposed groups and found that the serum insulin level in the high-exposed group was significantly lower than that in the low-exposed group (p = 0.003) while fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level increased obviously in the high-exposed group compared to the low-exposed group (p = 0.001). Further analysis showed that MTBE exposure level was positively correlated with FPG level, but negatively correlated with serum insulin level, which suggested that the FPG level increase might be related to the decrease of serum insulin level induced by MTBE exposure. The results of further mediation effect analysis showed that changes in serum zinc levels played a major intermediary role in the process of insulin secretion inhibition and blood glucose elevation caused by MTBE exposure. In addition, a significant negative correlation was found between MTBE exposure and serum Zn level, which might play a strong mediating effect on the inhibition of insulin secretion induced by MTBE exposure. In conclusion, our study provided evidence that MTBE could inhibit insulin secretion and interfere with Zn metabolism in gas station workers for the first time, and found that Zn might play an important mediation effect during the process of inhibiting insulin secretion and interfering with glucose metabolism induced by MTBE exposure., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is a unique anesthetic agent that has both advantages and disadvantages, especially in neurosurgical patients. Various studies evaluating the use of N 2 O in different surgical populations have been inconclusive so far. In this prospective, single-blinded, randomized study, 50 patients of either sex, aged 18-60 years, were enrolled and randomly allocated into N 2 O or N 2 O free group. Data including demographics, intraoperative vitals, blood gases, intravenous fluids, anesthetic drug consumption, brain condition, emergence and recovery time, duration of surgery and anesthesia, duration of postoperative ventilation, perioperative complications, condition at discharge, and duration of intensive care unit & hospital stay were recorded. There was no significant difference in intensive care unit or hospital stay between the groups. However, a significant difference in intraoperative heart rate and mean arterial pressure was observed. The incidence of intraoperative tachycardia and hypotension was significantly higher in the N 2 O free group. Other intra- and post-operative parameters, perioperative complications, and conditions at discharge were comparable. Use of N 2 O anesthesia for cerebellopontine tumor surgery in good physical grade and well-optimized patients neither increases the length of intensive care unit or hospital stay nor does it affect the complications and conditions at discharge. However, future studies in poor-grade patients with large tumors and raised intracranial pressure will be required to draw a definitive conclusion.

Desflurane is an inhalational anesthetic agent with an appealing recovery profile. The present systematic review investigates the clinical effects and adverse events associated with desflurane use during supratentorial craniotomy for brain tumor resection in adults in comparison with other inhalational and intravenous anesthetic agents. A literature search was conducted across the MEDLINE, Library of Congress and LISTA (EBSCO) databases from January 2001 to January 2021. Twelve studies published between 2003 and 2020 were included in this systematic review. Desflurane was compared with either isoflurane, sevoflurane, or propofol for anesthesia maintenance. Brain relaxation scores showed no statistically significant difference between desflurane and the other anesthetic agents. Recovery timepoints, such as time to recovery, time to eye opening, time to extubation, time to follow commands, and time to reach a modified Aldrete score ≥9 were significantly shorter with desflurane in the majority of studies. Systemic hemodynamic variables (mean arterial pressure and heart rate) and cerebral hemodynamics (intracranial pressure and cerebrospinal fluid pressure) were comparable between desflurane and other anesthetic agents in each study. The results of this systematic review demonstrate that desflurane is associated with few adverse events when used for anesthesia maintenance in adult patients undergoing supratentorial brain tumor surgery. Large, prospective, comprehensive studies, utilizing standardized parameter evaluation could provide higher levels of evidence to support these findings., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Even after uncomplicated surgery, postoperative fatigue prevalence has been reported to be 30-80% for various surgeries. We evaluated postoperative fatigue according to anesthetic technique in patients who underwent colorectal surgery., Methods: One hundred thirty patients who underwent colorectal surgery were randomly assigned to either propofol-remifentanil total intravenous anesthesia (propofol-remifentanil group, n = 65) or sevoflurane-fentanyl anesthesia (sevoflurane-fentanyl group, n = 65). The primary outcome was the prevalence of postoperative fatigue, as defined by the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (total score ≥ 16), at 24 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were early postoperative complications during hospitalization and laboratory examination., Results: The final analyses included 127 patients. The prevalence of postoperative fatigue on the 1st postoperative day was lower in the propofol-remifentanil group than the sevoflurane-fentanyl group: 56.3% (36/64) in the propofol-remifentanil group and 73.0% (46/63) in the sevoflurane-fentanyl group (relative risk [RR] = 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-1.00; P = 0.048). However, there was no difference between the two groups in postoperative fatigue at postoperative day 3. Other postoperative outcomes including the severity of pain and the incidence of nausea/vomiting were not different between the two groups, but postoperative atelectasis on chest X-ray was higher in the sevoflurane-fentanyl group (2/64 [3.1%] vs. 9/63 [14.3%], P = 0.025). C-reactive protein change from preoperative to postoperative day 1 and 5 was significantly lower in the propofol-remifentanil group (P = 0.044)., Conclusion: Propofol-remifentanil total intravenous anesthesia was associated with reduced postoperative fatigue at the 1st postoperative day compared with sevoflurane-fentanyl anesthesia. Clinical trial The Korean Clinical Research Registry (study identifier: KCT0006917, principal investigator's name: MiHye Park, date of registration: January 12, 2022)., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Sevoflurane (SEV) is a commonly used anesthetic in pediatric surgery. Recent studies reported that repeated use of SEV contributes to cognitive impairment. Engeletin has been discovered to exert anti-inflammatory effects in various diseases. However, the detailed roles and mechanisms of engeletin in SEV-induced cognitive dysfunction of neonatal mice remain unclear. In this study, C57BL/6 neonatal mice were randomly divided into Ctrl, SEV, SEV + Engeletin (10 mg /kg), SEV + Engeletin (20 mg/kg), and SEV + Engeletin (40 mg/kg) groups. The Morris water maze (MWM) test suggested that engeletin treatment significantly improved SEV-induced cognitive impairment in neonatal mice. Employing ELISA and Nissl staining analysis, engeletin reduced neuroinflammation and loss of nerve cells caused by SEV, respectively. The treatment of engeletin dramatically suppressed the activation of microglia and apoptosis induced by SEV in the hippocampus of neonatal mice. Furthermore, the inhibition of PPAR-γ obviously reversed the abovementioned effects of engeletin in the hippocampus of newborn mice. In conclusion, this study verified that engeletin notably ameliorated SEV-induced cognitive deficiencies in neonatal mice at least partially by mediating the expression of PPAR-γ., (© 2023 Japanese Society of Neuropathology.)

Background: Some studies reported that pediatric patients undergoing otorhinolaryngology (ENT) and ophthalmic surgeries have higher incidences of emergence agitation (EA). Children with EA tend to carry the risk of self-harm, have longer periods of recovery and delayed hospital discharge. Consequently, EA needs to be monitored and risk factors ought to be emphasized to implement preventative measures. The objective of this study was to describe EA and to identify risk factors after pediatric ophthalmic or ENT surgery., Methods: Between September 2021 and December 2021, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 100 children aged of 0-12 years who underwent ophthalmic or ENT surgery. The Watcha scale was used to observe and record EA, which was defined at levels of 3 or 4 at any time in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). The pain intensity was graded with the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Scale after surgery. Patient and surgery-related characteristics, the behavioral criteria of EA, the pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions and recovery outcomes were objectively recorded. A binary logistic regression model was constructed to identify the associated factors of EA., Results: From the 100 analyzed children, 58 were males and 42 were females, and 44 patients received ophthalmic surgery and 56 ENT surgery. The median age was 6 (IQR 4-7) years. The overall incidence of EA among pediatrics was 30% (34.5% for ENT and 24.4% for ophthalmic surgery). High preoperative modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety scale (m-YPAS) grade (OR = 1.19, 95%CI 1.06-1.33, P = 0.003) and high postoperative FLACC score (OR = 3.36, 95%CI 1.88-6.02, P < 0.001) were risk factors for EA., Conclusions: This study identified that preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain are associated with EA in children after ophthalmic or ENT surgery. Preoperative anxiety assessment and management, and administration of adjunct analgesic treatments should be considered in the routine care., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Emergence agitation or emergence delirium is a common complication of unknown etiology in pediatric anesthesia. Pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium (PAED) has been reported most commonly in younger children and may occur in about 30% of children up to 5-6 years old. Exposure to anesthetic agents may contribute to PAED, and we hypothesized that a management strategy to minimize exposure to volatile anesthetics may reduce PAED. Electroencephalography (EEG) signatures captured and displayed by brain function monitors during anesthesia change with concentration of sevoflurane and level of unconsciousness, and these EEG signatures may be used to inform titration of anesthetics., Methods: A single-center, parallel-group, two-arm, superiority trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio will be performed to compare the incidence of PAED following standard sevoflurane anesthesia (maintained at 1.0MAC) and EEG-guided anesthesia (minimum concentration to sustain surgical anesthesia as determined by monitoring of EEG signatures). Participants between 1 and 6 years of age undergoing surgical procedures involving minimal postoperative pain will be randomly assigned to receive standard (n = 90) or EEG-guided (n = 90) anesthesia. PAED score will be assessed by a blinded observer in the PACU on arrival and after 5, 10, 15, and 30 min., Discussion: Anesthesia management with proactive use of brain function monitoring is expected to reduce exposure to sevoflurane without compromising surgical anesthesia. We expect this reduced exposure should help prevent PAED. Routinely administering what may be considered standard levels of anesthetic such as 1.0 MAC sevoflurane may be excessive and potentially associated with unfavorable sequelae such as PAED., Trial Registration: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT) jRCTs032210248. Prospectively registered on 17 August 2021., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background and Objectives: Deleterious effects on short-term and long-term quality of life have been associated with the development of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) after general anesthesia. Yet, the progress in the field is still required. Most of the studies investigate POCD after major surgery, so scarce evidence exists about the incidence and effect different anesthetics have on POCD development after minor procedures. In this study, we compared early postoperative cognitive function of the sevoflurane and desflurane patients who experienced a low-risk surgery of thyroid gland., Materials and Methods: Eighty-two patients, 40 years and over, with no previous severe cognitive, neurological, or psychiatric disorders, appointed for thyroid surgery under general anesthesia, were included in the study. In a random manner, the patients were allocated to either sevoflurane or desflurane study arms. Cognitive tests assessing memory, attention, and logical reasoning were performed twice: the day before the surgery and 24 h after the procedure. Primary outcome, magnitude of change in cognitive testing, results from baseline. POCD was diagnosed if postoperative score decreased by at least 20%., Results: Median change from baseline cognitive results did not differ between the sevoflurane and desflurane groups (-2.63%, IQR 19.3 vs. 1.13%, IQR 11.0; p = .222). POCD was detected in one patient (1.22%) of the sevoflurane group. Age, duration of anesthesia, postoperative pain, or patient satisfaction did not correlate with test scores. Intraoperative temperature negatively correlated with total postoperative score (r = -0.35, p = .007)., Conclusions: Both volatile agents proved to be equivalent in terms of the early cognitive functioning after low-risk thyroid surgery. Intraoperative body temperature may influence postoperative cognitive performance., (© 2023 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that the depth of general anesthesia affects emergence agitation (EA) in children in the early postanesthetic period. We retrospectively examined male and female children (aged 1-9 years) who underwent ambulatory surgery that lasted < 2 h. Various parameters, including the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Score (mYPAS) before anesthesia induction, the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score at recovery time, and the value of the patient state index (PSI), were extracted from our electronic anesthesia database. The relationships between the PAED score and the mean PSI values were examined with univariate analyses. We also investigated the associations among the mean PSI, propofol anesthesia, age, mYPAS, the type of surgery, and the total amount of fentanyl divided by body weight with the PAED score using multiple regression analysis with interaction terms. There were 32 and 34 patients in the sevoflurane and propofol groups, respectively. The PAED scores (all patients: r = -0.34, p = 0.0048; sevoflurane group: r = -0.37, p = 0.036) were negatively correlated with the mean PSI, whereas the PAED score in the propofol group [r = 0.31 (-0.03, 0.59), p = 0.073] did not show a significant positive correlation with the mean PSI in the univariate analysis. The multiple linear regression analysis outcomes revealed that the mean PSI value was an independent clinical factor associated with the PAED score. Intraoperative electroencephalogram monitoring may be proved as one of the useful tools for the assessment of EA risks in children.

Cognitive dysfunction is a common postoperative neurological complication in patients undergoing valve replacement surgery. This study aimed to compare the effects of sevoflurane versus propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia on the incidence of cognitive dysfunction following valve replacement surgery. This multicenter, randomized, controlled double-blinded study was conducted in three teaching hospitals in China. Patients receiving on-pump valve replacement surgery were enrolled. Stratified block randomization was used to randomly assign patients 1:1 to receive sevoflurane (1.0-1.5 MAC) or propofol (2.0-3.0 mg/kg/h) for anesthesia maintenance. The primary outcome was the incidence of cognitive dysfunction assessed by four cognitive tests before, as well as 7-14 days after surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive sevoflurane anesthesia (n = 144) or propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (n = 145). The incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in the sevoflurane anesthesia group (31.9%) was significantly lower than that in the total intravenous anesthesia group (43.4%; relative risk 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38-0.97, p = 0.044). There was no difference in the incidence of delirium between patients receiving sevoflurane and total intravenous anesthesia (27.8% [35/144] vs. 25.9% [35/145], 1.10, 95% CI: 0.64 to 1.90, p = 0.736). There was a significant difference in the Katz Index on day 3 after surgery (3 [0.9) vs. 3 (1.0], 0.095, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.43, p = 0.012). No difference was observed in other outcomes between the two groups. For patients undergoing on-pump valve replacement surgery, sevoflurane anesthesia had a smaller effect on cognitive function and independence in daily life activities compared with propofol anesthesia., (© 2022 The Authors. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Background: The integrated information theory (IIT) of consciousness introduces a measure Φ to quantify consciousness in a physical system. Directly related to this, general anesthesia aims to induce reversible and safe loss of consciousness (LOC). We sought to propose an electroencephalogram (EEG)-based IIT index Φ EEG to evaluate various states of consciousness under general anesthesia., Methods: Based on the definition of mutual information, we estimated the Φ EEG by maximizing the integrated information under various time lags. We used the binning method to cut the nonGaussian EEG data for estimating mutual information. We tested two EEG databases collected from propofol- (n=20) and sevoflurane-induced (n=15) anesthesia, and especially, we compared the Φ EEG of drowsy (n=7) and responsive participants (n=13) under propofol anesthesia. We compared the effectiveness of Φ EEG with the estimated bispectral index (eBIS)., Results: In all EEG frequency bands, we observed a negative correlation between Φ EEG and end-tidal sevoflurane concentration under sevoflurane-induced anesthesia (p<0.001,BF 10 >6000). Under propofol-induced anesthesia, drowsy participants in moderate sedation (6.96±0.26(mean±SD)) showed decreased alpha-band Φ EEG compared with baseline (7.40±0.53,p=0.016,BF 10 =3.58), no significant difference was observed for responsive participants. Oppositely, the responsive participants in moderate sedation (-5.32±0.38) showed decreased eBIS compared with baseline (-4.94±0.40,p=0.03,BF 10 =2.41)., Conclusions: These findings may enable monitors of the anesthetic state that can distinguish consciousness and unconsciousness rather than the changes of anesthetic concentrations. The alpha-band Φ EEG is promising for deriving the gold standard for depth of anesthesia monitoring., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Propofol and sevoflurane are two commonly used perioperative anesthetics. Some studies have found that these anesthetic drugs affect tumorigenesis. Previous studies have mostly focused on in vitro experiments, and the specimens collected were mainly peripheral body fluids, lacking direct evidence of the impact of anesthetic drugs on human tissues. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of propofol and sevoflurane on lung cancer using next-generation sequencing through an in vivo experiment., Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to a group receiving either propofol or sevoflurane during surgery. Then, the patients' tumor and paired normal samples were collected and sequenced by next-generation sequencing. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) were analyzed by two statistical models, followed by cluster analysis, PCA, Gene Ontology, and KEGG pathway analysis. Candidate genes were confirmed by qRT-PCR., Results: The demographic data of the two study groups were not statistically significant. Through single-factor model analysis, 810 DEG in the propofol group and 508 DEG in the sevoflurane group were obtained. To better reflect the differential effects between propofol and sevoflurane while reducing the false-positive DEG, we used multifactor model analysis, which resulted in 124 DEG. In PCA and cluster analysis, four groups (propofol cancer group, propofol normal group, sevoflurane cancer group, sevoflurane normal group) were separated adequately, indicating the accuracy of the analysis. We chose seven significant pathways (cellular response to interleukin-1, chemokine-mediated signaling pathway, chemokine signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, inflammatory response, immune response, and TNF signaling pathway) for downstream analysis. Based on the pathway analysis, three candidate genes (CXCR1, CXCL8, and TNFAIP3) were chosen, and their qRT-PCR results were consistent with the sequencing results., Conclusions: Through RNA-seq analysis, the effects of propofol and sevoflurane during lung cancer resection were different, mainly in inflammatory-related pathways, which might be possibly by targeting CXCL8., Trial Registration: Trial registry number was ChiCTR1900026213 ., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Hepatotoxicity secondary to exposure of volatile anaesthetics is an exceptional finding, but its clinical interest depends on their frequent use, unpredictable appearance and potential severity. Halothane is the volatile anaesthetic most frequently involved in the development of liver dysfunction, especially after re-exposure. Sevoflurane has rarely been related to this life-threatening complication. We present the case of a 1-year-old girl who had undergone previous surgery for closure of a patent ductus arteriosus, and who developed severe acute hepatitis and died after undergoing surgical repair of an aortic isthmus narrowing by means of general anaesthesia with sevoflurane. Other possible causes of liver failure were excluded. This adverse event was classified as serious and was included in the national and European pharmacovigilance network, with the aim of preventing dangerous effects on patient health in clinical practice, by contributing to the enrichment of the literature., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© European Association of Hospital Pharmacists 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

General anesthesia could induce amnesia, however the mechanism remains unclear. We hypothesized that suppression of neuronal ensemble activity in the hippocampus by anesthesia during the post-learning period causes retrograde amnesia. To test this hypothesis, two experiments were conducted with sevoflurane anesthesia (2.5%, 30 min): a hippocampus-dependent memory task, the context pre-exposure facilitation effect (CPFE) procedure to measure memory function and in vivo calcium imaging to observe neural activity in hippocampal CA1 during context exploration and sevoflurane/home cage session. Sevoflurane treatment just after context pre-exposure session impaired the CPFE memory, suggesting sevoflurane induced retrograde amnesia. Calcium imaging showed sevoflurane treatment prevented neuronal activity in CA1. Further analysis of neuronal activity with non-negative matrix factorization, which extracts neural ensemble activity based on synchronous activity, showed that sevoflurane treatment reduced the reactivation of neuronal ensembles between during context exploration just before and one day after sevoflurane inhalation. These results suggest that sevoflurane treatment immediately after learning induces amnesia, resulting from suppression of reactivation of neuronal ensembles., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2022. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Sevoflurane and desflurane are commonly used inhalation anesthetics in clinical practice. This study compared the synergistic effects of sevoflurane and desflurane on the muscarinic agent vecuronium in laparoscopic colon cancer surgery. The aim of this study was to compare sevoflurane and desflurane in a synergistic effect on the muscle relaxant vecuronium in laparoscopic colon cancer surgery. Sixty patients undergoing elective laparoscopic radical resection of colon cancer were randomly divided into sevoflurane (n = 30) and desflurane (n = 30) groups. After anesthesia and successful tracheal intubation, patients in both groups were maintained with combined remifentanil. Muscle relaxant effects were monitored in both groups using a muscle relaxant monitor (train of stimuli-Watch), the onset time, T1 and T2 recovery time, and muscle relaxant dosage of vecuronium were observed. Hemodynamic changes were observed in both groups, and the dosage of vasoactive drugs was recorded. The quality of recovery of the patients was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the discharge from the Aldrete score criteria. There was no significant difference in the onset time of vecuronium between the two groups (P > .05). The desflurane group's T1 and T2 recovery times were later than that of the sevoflurane group. The dosage of vecuronium was statistically significantly less than that in the sevoflurane group (P < .05); the extubation time in the desflurane group was statistically significantly longer than that in the sevoflurane group (P < .05). There were no significant differences in preoperative and intraoperative mean arterial pressure, heart rate, ephedrine and atropine dosage, MMSE score, and Aldrete score between the 2 groups (P > .05). Compared with sevoflurane, desflurane has a stronger synergistic effect on the muscle relaxant of vecuronium without increasing the incidence of cardiovascular adverse reactions and affecting patient recovery., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: To investigate the overall incidence and associated factors of epileptiform discharges in children during sevoflurane anesthesia., Methods: Our group systematically searched the PubMed, Cochrane library (Central) and EMBASE for the relevant trials from their inception until September 2020. The primary endpoint was the incidence of epileptiform discharges during sevoflurane induction. The secondary endpoints were the incidence of different types of epileptiform discharges, factors associated with these epileptiform events, and other adverse events such as seizure-like movements., Results: After screening of 713 records, eleven studies involving 448 participants were included into the final analysis. Meta-analysis indicated that the overall incidence of Epileptiform EEG discharges was 38.1% (95%confidence interval [CI], 19.1%-59.2%) during sevoflurane anesthesia in children. Subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of these EEG patters was lower when participants were inducted by using the low initial concentration of sevoflurane, compared with the high initial concentration sevoflurane (1.7%, 95%CI, 0.0% to 8.4% versus 47.7%, 95%CI, 25.5% to 70.3%, P < 0.05). The longer exposure (>3 min) of high concentration sevoflurane during induction showed higher rate of epileptiform discharges than a shorter exposure (≤3 min) (48.4%, 95%CI, 20.1% to 77.3% versus 5.7%, 95%CI, 0.00% to 23.5%; P < 0.05). No significant difference for the incidence of epileptiform discharges was observed in subgroup analysis of addition of nitrous oxide (69.2%, 95%CI, 34.0% to 95.7% versus 41.3%, 95%CI, 15.6% to 69.7%, P﹥0.05) and type of EEG monitoring (26.9%, 95%CI, 3.8% to 60.7% versus 53.1%, 95%CI, 25.4% to 79.8%, P﹥0.05)., Conclusions: The incidence of epileptiform EEG events in children during sevoflurane anesthesia varied from 19.1%-59.2%. The low initial concentration technique and shorter exposure time of high concentration sevoflurane may be associated with a decreased incidence of these epileptiform discharges in EEG., Significance: Epileptiform EEG discharges during sevoflurane anesthesia in children should arouse clinicians' attention. The use of low initial concentration technique and shorter exposure time of high concentration sevoflurane may be associated with a lower occurrence of these paradoxical events., (Copyright © 2022 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Thyroidectomy is performed under general anesthesia using inhaled anesthetics such as sevoflurane or desflurane in many cases. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the incidence of postoperative pain and discomfort after thyroidectomy differed with the type of inhaled anesthetic., Methods: Eighty-one female patients who underwent thyroidectomy were randomly assigned to the Sevo group (n = 42) or the Des group (n = 39). On the day of surgery and on the first, third, and seventh days after surgery, one registered nurse in charge of the entire questionnaire survey conducted the questionnaire assessment through face-to-face interviews or phone calls with the patients. The questionnaire evaluated the severity scores for seven items (sore throat, wound pain, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, occipital headache, posterior neck pain, and shoulder pain) regarding postoperative pain and discomfort experienced by patients and assessed which of these seven items caused the greatest discomfort to the patient on each day., Results: Except for the severity score for dizziness on the day of surgery, the severity scores of postoperative pain and discomfort experienced by patients on the day of surgery and on the first, third, and seventh days after surgery showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups. In addition, on the day of surgery and on the first, third, and seventh days after surgery, patients reported that sore throat caused the greatest discomfort., Conclusion: In patients undergoing thyroidectomy under general anesthesia using sevoflurane or desflurane, except for dizziness on the day of surgery, no other manifestation of postoperative pain and discomfort was influenced by the type of inhaled anesthetic. Moreover, after thyroidectomy, postoperative sore throat caused the greatest discomfort to patients from the day of surgery to the seventh day after surgery., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Sevoflurane anesthesia during neonatal period was reported to sensitize the rodent animals to stress later in life. The authors tested the hypothesis that repeated sevoflurane exposures in neonatal rats increased the brain vulnerability to future stress exposure and resulted in fear extinction deficit and investigated whether the neonatal brain depolarizing γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABA A R) is involved in mediating these abnormalities. Neonatal Sprague-Dawley male rats, pretreated with vehicle or the NKCC1 inhibitor, bumetanide, received sequential exposures to 3% sevoflurane for 2 h on postnatal days (P) 5, P6, and P7 and then were exposed to electric foot shock stress in fear conditioning training at P14. Juvenile rats at different developmental brain stage receiving identical sevoflurane exposures on P25, P26, and P27 were also studied. The results showed repeated sevoflurane exposures in neonatal rats and increased the cation-chloride cotransporters NKCC1/KCC2 ratio in the PFC at P14. Repeated exposures to sevoflurane in neonatal rather than juvenile rats enhanced the stress response and exacerbated neuroapoptosis in the PFC after exposed to electric foot shock in fear conditioning training. Neonatal rather than juvenile sevoflurane-exposed rats exhibited deficits in fear extinction training and recall. Pretreatment of neonatal rats prior to sevoflurane exposures with bumetanide reduced the NKCC1/KCC2 ratio at P14 and ameliorated most of the subsequent adverse effects. Our study indicates that repeated sevoflurane exposures in neonatal rats might increase the brain vulnerability to future stress exposure and resulted in fear extinction deficit, which might be associated with the neonatal enhanced brain depolarizing GABA A R activity., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

General anesthetic agents can change the shivering threshold. Sevoflurane and desflurane are widely used as inhalational anesthetics and have also been reported to lower the shivering threshold in a dose-dependent manner. Although the comparison of postoperative shivering (POS) between total intravenous anesthesia and inhalational anesthesia has been reported, there have been no reports on a direct comparison between sevoflurane and desflurane anesthesia and the occurrence of POS in open abdominal surgery. After obtaining approval from the Ethics Review Committee (2020-261), 683 adult patients who underwent open radical surgery for uterine, cervical, or pancreatic cancer under general anesthesia using inhalational anesthetics at Kyushu University hospital between December 2012 and March 2020 were included in this retrospective study. The odds ratio (OR) for the occurrence of POS between the two groups (sevoflurane and desflurane) was calculated. Multivariable-adjusted analysis was performed using possible factors affecting POS. Furthermore, propensity score (PS) matching was conducted using these factors. The multivariable-adjusted OR for the occurrence of shivering in the desflurane group (62 occurrences/356 patients) was 1.06 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-1.62, p  = 0.79) compared with the sevoflurane group (77/327, reference). Similarly, after PS matching, the crude OR for the occurrence of shivering in the desflurane group (47/210) was 1.09 (95% CI: 0.68-1.75, p  = 0.72) compared with the sevoflurane group (44/210, reference). Similar results were obtained in the stratified analysis by sex and age. The occurrence of POS is not different between sevoflurane and desflurane anesthesia.

Background: Sevoflurane is metabolised into Compound A and fluoride that carry a hypothetical risk of nephrotoxicity. However, a clinically significant association between sevoflurane use and acute kidney injury (AKI) in humans has not been established., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 15 552 patients who underwent noncardiac surgery under general anaesthesia using a volatile agent lasting >3 h between July 2016 and May 2019 at a single centre. Patients were divided into a sevoflurane group or no sevoflurane group (desflurane or isoflurane). The primary outcome was incidence of postoperative AKI, which was defined based on the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria using creatinine concentration within 48 h postoperatively. Propensity score analysis using inverse probability of treatment weighting and propensity score matching was designed to compare outcomes between groups., Results: Amongst 13 701 included patients, 11 070 (80.8%) received sevoflurane during anaesthesia. The incidence of AKI was 2.3% (257/11 070) and 2.5% (66/2631) in the sevoflurane and no sevoflurane groups, respectvely (P=0.57). After inverse probability of treatment weighting adjustment, sevoflurane anaesthesia was not significantly associated with postoperative AKI (odds ratio [OR] 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99-1.76; P=0.059). In the matched cohort, the incidence of AKI was 3.1% (81/2626) and 2.4% (62/2626) in the sevoflurane and no sevoflurane groups, respectively, and sevoflurane anaesthesia was not associated with postoperative AKI (OR 1.32; 95% CI: 0.94-1.86; P=0.11)., Conclusions: Sevoflurane anaesthesia for >3 h was not associated with postoperative renal injury compared with anaesthesia using other volatile agents., (Copyright © 2022 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Intraoperative isoelectric electroencephalography (EEG) has been associated with hypotension and postoperative delirium in adults. This international prospective observational study sought to determine the prevalence of isoelectric EEG in young children during anesthesia. The authors hypothesized that the prevalence of isoelectric events would be common worldwide and associated with certain anesthetic practices and intraoperative hypotension., Methods: Fifteen hospitals enrolled patients age 36 months or younger for surgery using sevoflurane or propofol anesthetic. Frontal four-channel EEG was recorded for isoelectric events. Demographics, anesthetic, emergence behavior, and Pediatric Quality of Life variables were analyzed for association with isoelectric events., Results: Isoelectric events occurred in 32% (206 of 648) of patients, varied significantly among sites (9 to 88%), and were most prevalent during pre-incision (117 of 628; 19%) and surgical maintenance (117 of 643; 18%). Isoelectric events were more likely with infants younger than 3 months (odds ratio, 4.4; 95% CI, 2.57 to 7.4; P < 0.001), endotracheal tube use (odds ratio, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.73; P = 0.008), and propofol bolus for airway placement after sevoflurane induction (odds ratio, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.78 to 4.8; P < 0.001), and less likely with use of muscle relaxant for intubation (odds ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.99; P = 0.046]. Expired sevoflurane was higher in patients with isoelectric events during preincision (mean difference, 0.2%; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.4; P = 0.005) and surgical maintenance (mean difference, 0.2%; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.3; P = 0.002). Isoelectric events were associated with moderate (8 of 12, 67%) and severe hypotension (11 of 18, 61%) during preincision (odds ratio, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.30 to 16.1; P = 0.018) (odds ratio, 3.54; 95% CI, 1.27 to 9.9; P = 0.015) and surgical maintenance (odds ratio, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.71 to 7.8; P = 0.001) (odds ratio, 7.1; 95% CI, 1.78 to 28.1; P = 0.005), and lower Pediatric Quality of Life scores at baseline in patients 0 to 12 months (median of differences, -3.5; 95% CI, -6.2 to -0.7; P = 0.008) and 25 to 36 months (median of differences, -6.3; 95% CI, -10.4 to -2.1; P = 0.003) and 30-day follow-up in 0 to 12 months (median of differences, -2.8; 95% CI, -4.9 to 0; P = 0.036). Isoelectric events were not associated with emergence behavior or anesthetic (sevoflurane vs. propofol)., Conclusions: Isoelectric events were common worldwide in young children during anesthesia and associated with age, specific anesthetic practices, and intraoperative hypotension., (Copyright © 2022, the American Society of Anesthesiologists. All Rights Reserved.)

Background: Emergence delirium can occur after general anesthesia in children. An intravenous infusion of alfentanil may reduce the incidence or severity of emergence delirium after sevoflurane anesthesia., Objective: The study aimed to investigate the effects of alfentanil intravenous infusion on emergence delirium and other perioperative complications., Method: This was a single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. A total of 172 children undergoing ambulatory dental treatment were randomized into three groups. Alfentanil group Alf2 received 0.2 μg/kg/min of alfentanil for continuous infusion, alfentanil group Alf4 received 0.4 μg/kg/min alfentanil, and the saline group (group Sal) received a continuous infusion of normal saline, with the same volume as the two other groups, as a placebo. The incidence of emergence delirium (assessed by the Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium [PAED] scale), hemodynamic parameters, and recovery characteristics were recorded during the recovery period. The Aono scale was also used to assess for emergence delirium. A WeChat applet was designed to facilitate a caregiver teleconsultation and to provide feedback on postoperative nausea and vomiting and any other complications after discharge., Results: The incidence of emergence delirium in group Alf2 (22.9%) and group Alf4 (21.1%) was significantly lower than that observed in the Sal group (48.3%). The PAED scores in group Alf2 (6.4 ± 3.5) and group Alf4 (5.8 ± 3.8) were significantly lower than those for group Sal (9.6 ± 5.1) (p < 0.01). Ten children in the Alf4 group needed manual ventilatory assistance to maintain end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO 2 ) < 55 mm; children in group Alf2 did not. There was no significant difference between the discharge time of groups Alf2 and Sal (31.2 ± 4.64 vs 30.5 ± 2.82 min; 0.659 [95% confidence interval {CI} -1.052 to 2.369], p = 0.643); the time to discharge of group Alf4 (35.16 ± 3.97 min) was significantly longer than that of groups Alf2 and Sal (p < 0.01). The incidence of nausea and vomiting was similar in the three groups. No other clinically relevant adverse events were observed., Conclusions: Intravenous infusion of 0.2 μg/kg/min and 0.4 μg/kg/min alfentanil decreased the incidence of emergence delirium in the post-anesthesia care unit. The 0.2 μg/kg/min dose of alfentanil resulted in less respiratory depression and discharge delay than the 0.4 μg/kg/min alfentanil dose., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100043320)., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Sevoflurane has been widely used clinically as an inhalation anesthetic. A review of domestic and domestic research, combined with the current synthesis research, pharmacological progress, existing production capacity, production, and sales status, can show that sevoflurane is a very good new type of inhalation anesthetic. Objective . To study the effect of sevoflurane combined with nerve block anesthesia on stress response and hemodynamics in patients with uterine fibroids surgery. Methods . We selected 100 cases of myomectomy patients as the research objects and divided them into observation and control groups according to the random number table method, with 50 cases in each group. The comparison group received propofol combined with remifentanil intravenous compound anesthesia, while the observation group received sevoflurane combined with nerve block anesthesia. The stress response and hemodynamic changes were compared between the two groups 5 minutes before anesthesia (T1), 30 minutes after pneumoperitoneum (T2), and at the end of the operation (T3). At the same time, the differences in cognitive function and adverse reactions were also compared 1 day before surgery and 1 day after surgery. Results . At T2 and T3, the stress response indexes of cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and blood sugar in the observation group were lower than those in the control group. In addition, hemodynamic indicators heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and blood sample saturation levels were also lower than those in the control group. One day after the operation, the score of the Simple Mental State Scale in the observation group was higher than that in the control group, and the time phrase for the completion of the connection test was in the control group. The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was lower than that in the comparison group. Conclusion . Sevoflurane combined with nerve block anesthesia in patients undergoing myomectomy can significantly reduce the body's response to hormones, maintain hemodynamic stability, reduce cognitive impairment, and help avoid adverse reactions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the present study., (Copyright © 2022 Shujing Fan and Shiduo Li.)

This research aimed to explore the influence of TLR deletion on sevoflurane-induced postoperative cognitive dysfunction in neonatal mice. Herein, WT and TLR3 KO neonatal mice, each with 24, were randomly divided into control group, sevoflurane group, and TLR3 -/- +sevoflurane group. The hippocampal neurons of WT, TLR3 KO and RIP3 KO neonatal mice in C group, SEV group, TLR3 -/- +SEV group and RIP3 -/- +SEV group were extracted for in vitro experiments. The results revealed the degeneration and necrosis of nerve cells in SEV group. Microscopic findings indicated that nerve cells showed shrinkage and nuclear hyperchromatism, along with lessening or even disappearance of nuclei and enlargement of cell spaces, and apoptotic cells in the brain tissues were evidently increased. Compared with SEV group, TLR3 -/- +SEV group displayed reductions in these phenomena. Additionally, SEV group showed the reduced SHP2 expression and the increased expressions of proteins associated with TLR signaling pathway and apoptosis. Furthermore, there were no obvious differences in the expressions of such proteins in hippocampal neurons between RIP3 -/- +SEV and TLR3 -/- +SEV groups. The results confirmed that inhibiting RIP3 phosphorylation and suppressing TLR3 expressions exerted the same influence on the expressions of these proteins in the hippocampus of neonatal mice with sevoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction. Based on these, it is speculated that TLR3 influences neonatal mice with sevoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction probably by regulating RIP3 phosphorylation.

Background: We investigated the influence of dexmedetomidine on the emergence agitation of pediatric patients after ophthalmologic operation under general anesthesia using sevoflurane., Methods: We selected 90 patients that were administered pediatric ophthalmologic operation for the study. The patients were randomly divided into 3 groups according to the administration way of drugs, i.e. the normal saline group (group S, N.=30), the midazolam group (group M, N.=30) and the dexmedetomidine group (group D, N.=30). For all patients, anesthesia induction was performed using sevoflurane before anesthesia, and the anesthesia was maintained in the operation with a combination of sevoflurane and remifentanil; laryngeal mask airway (LMA) was used for assisted ventilation. Ten minutes before the end of operation, 15 mL of 0.9% normal saline, 0.05 mg/kg of midazolam and 0.5 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine were administered to group S, group M and group D, respectively. After the operation, we observed the awakening time, time of the LMA removal as well as the recovery time in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) of patients in all three groups. We evaluated the postoperative condition of sedation and agitation of the patients using Ramsay Sedation Scale, 5-point scale and Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Deliriums Scale (PAED) and performed statistical analysis., Results: In the comparisons of awakening time, time of the LMA removal as well as the recovery time, we found that group M was the longest sequentially followed by group D and group S with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). While the comparison of the scores of Ramsay Sedation Scale revealed that group D scored highest followed by group M and group S with statistically significant differences (P<0.05), both of the comparisons of the scores of 5-point scale and PAED Scale showed that group D scored the lowest, followed by group M and group S in sequence with statistically significant differences (P<0.05)., Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine can significantly lower the incidence of emergence agitation of pediatric patients after the ophthalmologic operation under sevoflurane anesthesia.

Abstract: Emergence delirium is a common complication after sevoflurane-anesthesia and have a serious impact on children undergoing cleft palate surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of propofol and dexmedetomidine on emergence delirium in children. Ninety children aged 8 to 24 months, underwent cleft palate repair, were enrolled in the study. Children were randomly assigned to 3 groups after the induction: Group C (intravenous infusion 0.9% saline), Group P (intravenous infusion 2 mg/kg/hour propofol), and Group D (intravenous infusion 0.5 μg/kg/hour dexmedetomidine). Emergence delirium was diagnosed using the pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium scale and pain using the face, legs, activity, cry, consolability scale. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, respiratory recovery time, extubation time, post anesthesia care unit observation time, and adverse events were also evaluated. A total of 86 patients were analyzed. The incidence of emergence delirium was 20.1% in group D, 58.6% in group P and 85.7% in group C (P < 0.05). A lower face, legs, activity, cry, consolability score was seen in group D than in group P and group C (3.9 + 1.1 versus 6.1 ± 0.9 and 7.1 ± 1.0, P < 0.05). The value of heart rate and mean arterial pressure during emergence in group P and group C were significantly higher than that in group D (All P < 0.05). These findings suggest that dexmedetomidine as a sedative, analgesic, and sympatholytic agent was superior to propofol in reducing the incidence of emergence delirium in children undergoing cleft palates surgery with sevoflurane-based anesthesia., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

Study Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at assessing the effects of two commonly used anesthetics in general anesthesia (GA), sevoflurane and desflurane, on early postoperative vomiting (POV) in hospitalized adults., Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs)., Setting: Early postoperative vomiting after GA., Patients: A total of 266 adult patients receiving inpatient surgeries under GA maintained with sevoflurane or desflurane., Interventions: We searched PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ScienceDirect, and Embase for eligible RCTs comparing postoperative outcomes following sevoflurane- or desflurane-maintained anesthesia., Measurements: The primary outcome was early POV. Secondary outcomes included late POV, early and late postoperative nausea (PON), time to extubation, and emergence time., Main Results: Eight trials were included. There was no significant difference in the risk of early POV (risk ratio [RR] 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64-1.64, p = 0.91). No significant difference in early PON was observed (RR 1.09; 95% CI, 0.77-1.56; p = 0.62). Nevertheless, the incidence of late POV and late PON were significantly lower in the sevoflurane group than that in the desflurane group (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.94, p = 0.03; RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.24-0.84, p = 0.01, respectively). The extubation time was longer in the sevoflurane group than in the desflurane group (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.56, 95% CI 0.14-0.97, p = 0.009). The emergence time of patients in the sevoflurane group was longer than that in those receiving desflurane (SMD 0.76, 95% CI 0.1-1.42, p = 0.02)., Conclusions: Desflurane had the same effects on early POV and early PON as sevoflurane. However, the association between late POV and late PON with desflurane was stronger than that with sevoflurane if the effects of opioids were not considered. The desflurane group had shorter time to extubation and emergence time than the sevoflurane group. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020218988., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Objective: To investigate the effect of propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) or sevoflurane-based inhalation anesthesia on postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy., Design: A prospective randomized controlled trial., Setting: An operating room, a postoperative recovery area, and a hospital ward., Patients: A total of 102 female patients scheduled for elective total laparoscopic hysterectomy were randomly divided into two groups: the propofol group (group P) or sevoflurane group (group S)., Interventions: Anesthesia in group P was induced by propofol, fentanyl and rocuronium, and maintained by intravenous infusion of propofol and remifentanil. Anesthesia in group S was induced by a tidal volume inhalation technique with sevoflurane and rocuronium and maintained with sevoflurane and remifentanil. Patients in group P did not receive any volatile drugs., Measurements: Quality of Recovery-40 (QoR-40), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores were assessed at 8, 24, 48, 72 h, 7 days and 30 days after surgery. Intraoperative hemodynamics, postoperative inflammatory indicators and adverse reactions were also recorded., Main Results: The QoR-40 score and its 5 dimensions were similar in the two groups at each point in time (P > 0.05). Group S had less consumption of remifentanil (P < 0.001) but increased use of phenylephrine (P = 0.001) intraoperatively. PSQI scores were also comparable between groups at each point in time (P > 0.05). NRS scores at 72 h (P = 0.023) and 7 days (P = 0.017) after surgery, postoperative NLR (P = 0.024) and hs-CRP (P = 0.042), and the incidence of abdominal distension (P = 0.017) were significantly lower in group P than in group S. Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that duration of pneumoperitoneum and sleep quality were associated with postoperative recovery., Conclusions: The choice of intravenous or inhalation maintenance anesthesia did not affect overall postoperative recovery as measured by the QoR-40 in patients undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Reducing the duration of pneumoperitoneum and improving sleep quality were conducive to postoperative recovery., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Sevoflurane has been used to induce anaesthesia in adults due to its suitability for airway management and haemodynamic stability. Few studies have reported arrhythmia during volatile induction with sevoflurane in adults. Here, we investigated the incidence of arrhythmia and risk factors associated with its occurrence during sevoflurane induction of anaesthesia in adults., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analysed 950 adult patients who underwent elective ear nose and throat surgery with volatile induction using sevoflurane between May and December 2015. The incidence of arrhythmia and the factors associated with its development were analysed., Results: Arrhythmia was observed in 164 (17.3%) of 950 adult patients. The most frequently observed arrhythmia was sinus tachycardia (heart rate > 120 bpm) (77 patients, 47.0%). The multivariable logistic analysis showed four independent risk factors: age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.984, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.973-0.996, p = 0.006), coronary artery disease (OR = 3.749, 95% CI = 1.574-8.927, p = 0.003), maximal concentration (8 vol%) of sevoflurane from the start of induction (OR = 2.696, 95% CI = 1.139-6.382, p = 0.024), and maintenance of 8 vol% sevoflurane concentration after eyelash reflex loss (OR = 1.577, 95% CI = 1.083-2.296, p = 0.018). The risk of hypotension was greater in patients in whom arrhythmia occurred, although blood pressure recovered to baseline after the concentration of sevoflurane was adjusted., Conclusions: We recommend that the sevoflurane concentration be gradually increased with continuous and vigilant electrocardiogram and blood pressure monitoring. The sevoflurane concentration should be adjusted after sufficient unconsciousness is reached., (Copyright © 2021 Société française d'anesthésie et de réanimation (Sfar). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: The glycocalyx plays an important physiological role and may be damaged during cardiopulmonary bypass. Sevoflurane can protect the glycocalyx; however, its relevance in a clinical setting is unknown., Objective: Glycocalyx degradation during cardiopulmonary bypass in patients was investigated. On the basis of the available experimental data, we hypothesised that sevoflurane-based anaesthesia would confer additional protection against cardiopulmonary bypass-induced glycocalyx damage., Design: Randomised controlled study., Setting: Clinical study at The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between June 2018 and March 2019., Patients: Fifty-one patients., Interventions: After intubation and mechanical ventilation, patients undergoing elective heart valve surgery were maintained under general anaesthesia with either propofol or sevoflurane during surgery., Main Outcome Measures: Glycocalyx markers (such as syndecan-1, heparan sulphate and hyaluronan), sheddases responsible for the degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx (such as matrix metalloproteinase-9 and cathepsin-B), urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio and levels of lactic acid and myocardial enzymes were all measured. Postoperative mechanical ventilation time and length of stay in the cardiac care unit and hospital were also measured. Morbidity and mortality after 30 days and 1 year were evaluated., Results: The vascular endothelial glycocalyx was damaged during cardiopulmonary bypass. The glycocalyx damage in the sevoflurane group was less extensive than that in the propofol group. The urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio increased in both groups but was lower in the sevoflurane group. Enzymes including matrix metalloproteinase-9 and cathepsin-B were positively correlated with glycocalyx marker concentrations. After operation, the sevoflurane group showed lower levels of lactic acid and myocardial enzyme, as well as shorter duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation than the propofol group., Conclusion: Sevoflurane can decrease glycocalyx degradation in patients undergoing heart valve surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, chictr.org.cn, identifier: ChiCTR1800016367., (Copyright © 2021 European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.)

Induction of anesthesia using an inhalation agent remains a fundamental technique due to its rapid induction and emergence. Sevoflurane is preferred over halothane for its faster induction of anesthesia and lesser complications. Studies on sevoflurane in pediatrics have established it as safe and effective. However, its effectiveness in adults is very limited. Hence, this study was conducted to compare the induction and intubating conditions, hemodynamic profiles, and emergence from anesthesia with sevoflurane and halothane in adults and pediatric patients. This randomized clinical study was carried out for a period of 2 years (November 2006-September 2008) in the Anesthesiology Department of a Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be) University. Eighty patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists Class I and II were randomly assigned to halothane group and sevoflurane group with 40 patients in each group. Patients were induced and intubated with increasing concentrations of halothane from 0.5% to 5% and sevoflurane 1% to 7% in 50% nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen mixture. Recordings of vitals including induction and intubation time, recovery characteristics, and recovery and discharge time was also recorded. There was a statistically significant difference between sevoflurane and halothane in the induction and intubation time indicating that sevoflurane had faster induction and shorter intubation time compared to that of halothane. Patients in halothane group had more incidence of coughing, intolerance, salivation, breathe holding, rigidity, and movement as compared to sevoflurane group. The mean time to consciousness, response to verbal commands, orientation, and recovery room discharge time was significantly shorter in sevoflurane group as compared to halothane group. Sevoflurane can be a suitable alternative to halothane for induction of anesthesia in patients with a shorter induction and intubation time with better hemodynamic stability. This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (KIMSDU/IEC-307/028/14/11/2006).

Background: To retrospectively assess the efficacy and safety of sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia for the treatment of ankyloglossia on uncooperative pediatric outpatients. Methods: Pediatric patients with ankyloglossia (Degree 3 to Degree 5, coarse or thick) were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. The treatment of ankyloglossia was conducted with sevoflurane induction (8%) and maintenance (2%-3%) continuously with nasal cannula. Heart rate, respiratory rate, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and peripheral blood oxygen saturation were monitored continuously during operations. Onset time, recovery time, adverse complications were recorded until Aldrete score was ≥ 9. Patients were followed up 24 h, 1 and 2 weeks after operation. Results: One hundred and thirty-seven children completed surgeries with ideal anesthesia status. The operation duration were 10-20 minutes (15.15 ± 2.04), and the children woke up in 10-30 minutes (18.95 ± 3.91). The average intra-operative blood oxygen saturation were lower than preoperative ones ( p  = .005). Adverse effects were 13.1%, including 3 (2.2%) respiratory depression (SpO 2 < 90%), 11 (8.0%) dysphoria and crying during recovery, 2 (1.5%) transient fever symptom. Conclusions: Sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia in the treatment of ankyloglossia resulted in rapid onset and recovery, with few adverse reactions and significant clinical efficacy, and was suited to uncooperative pediatric outpatients.

Introduction and Objective: Emergence Delirium (ED), particularly in children, is characterized by mental confusion, irritability, disorientation, and inconsolable crying. ED prolongs the time required in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and increases concern and anxiety in parents. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness and safety of low-dose clonidine in preventing ED in children receiving sevoflurane anesthesia for tonsillectomy/adenotonsillectomy., Methods: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted between November 2013 and January 2014. Sixty-two children aged 2-12 years, scheduled to undergo tonsillectomy/adenotonsillectomy, and classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I/II were included, with 29 being randomized to receive 1 μg.kg -1 clonidine intravenously, and 33 allocated to a control group that received no clonidine. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with sevoflurane. Children with altered state of consciousness, neurological deficit, history of allergy to dipyrone, or receiving other drugs such as preanesthetic agents were excluded from the study. The primary outcome was the presence of ED in the initial 20 minutes in the PACU according to the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale. The Chi-Square test and Fisher's two-tailed exact test were used for statistical analysis, as applicable. Significance level was set at 5%, and Risk Ratios (RR) and their 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were calculated., Results: The frequency of ED was significantly decreased in the group of children who received clonidine (17.2% vs. 57.6%; RR = 0.30; 95% CI 0.13-0.70; p =  0.001). There was no difference between groups with respect to the frequency of postoperative self-harm (falls and bruises), dislodged catheters, and for most of the other adverse events evaluated., Conclusions: The use of 1 μg.kg -1 intravenous clonidine during anesthesia induction can effectively reduce the incidence of ED in children undergoing elective tonsillectomy/adenotonsillectomy under general inhalation anesthesia with sevoflurane. CLINICALTRIALS., Gov Identifier: NCT02181543., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.)

Background and Objectives: Elderly patients constitute a large segment of healthcare receivers. Considering the functional deterioration of multiple organ systems with aging, achieving a safe perioperative approach is challenging. Our aim is to study the safety and effectiveness of a genuinely regimented co-induction technique in order to minimize anesthesia-related complications. Materials and Methods: One hundred and five patients were assigned to three groups according to the induction technique: propofol, sevoflurane and co-induction group. Inclusion criteria: patients with age ≥65 and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification (ASA) II-III who underwent endoscopic urological procedures. The propofol group received a dose of 1.5 mg kg -1 of propofol over two minutes for induction. The sevoflurane group received 8% of sevoflurane and 100% oxygen through a plastic facemask with the fresh gas flow set at 8 L min -1 . The co-induction group received 4% sevoflurane through plastic facemask for two minutes, followed by a 0.75 mg kg -1 dose of propofol. After ensuring full range jaw relaxation, the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) was inserted. Results: Overall, the co-induction technique had a favorable profile in terms of respiratory adverse events, while the sevoflurane group had a favorable profile in terms of hemodynamic stability. Furthermore, 24 (68.6%) patients receiving inhalational sevoflurane had episodes of transient apnea, which constitutes 77.4% of the 31 episodes of transient apnea in the studied sample ( p < 0.001). Moreover, six (17.1%) patients in the sevoflurane group had an episode of partial laryngospasm ( p = 0.034). Compared with the co-induction group, we found that the propofol group had significantly less systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the second minute, with p values of (0.018) and (0.015), respectively. Conclusions: The co-induction technique utilizing 4% sevoflurane at 8 L min -1 flow of oxygen inhaled over two minutes followed by 0.75 mg kg -1 of propofol achieved less respiratory adverse events compared with the sevoflurane group, and less hemodynamic instability compared with the propofol group.