Sevoflurane has certain properties, such as a pleasant odour, little irritation of the airways, and a low blood gas partition coefficient, that favour rapid inhalation induction. The speed of anesthesia with vital capacity rapid inhalation induction(V...
Sevoflurane has certain properties, such as a pleasant odour, little irritation of the airways, and a low blood gas partition coefficient, that favour rapid inhalation induction. The speed of anesthesia with vital capacity rapid inhalation induction(VCRⅡ) is rapid, and although nitrous oxide is often added to the inhaled gases, there is only little evidence that the combination is much better than sevoflurane used alone. This study designed to investigate the effects of nitrous oxide on speed and quality of sevoflurane inhalation induction. We studied 30 ASA physical status Ⅰ and Ⅱ female patients scheduled for elective gynecological surgery with general anesthesia. Group l(n=l5) patients received 7% sevoflurane-oxygen for VCRⅡ and while Group 2(n=15) received 7% sevoflurane-50% nitrous oxide-oxygen for VCRⅡ. Anesthesia circuit is prefilled with 7% sevoflurane in group 1 and 7% sevoflurane with 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen in group 2 for 2 min. We compared induction times, oxygenation, and adverse events during inhalation induction. Induction time was taken as the time bispectral index values of 50. Induction times were not significantly shorter with sevoflurane-nitrous oxide than with sevoflurane alone(103.0±24.lsec, 101.3±22sec, respectively p>0.05). But oxygenation and adverse events did not differ between the two anesthetic groups.
We conclude that induction with sevoflurane carried in nitrous oxide and oxygen is safe, but induction time is not quicker than that in oxygen alone in this way.