title: Discharge time in patients who receive fentanyl or alfentanil for general anesthesia.
abstract: Forty ASA I and II patients undergoing elective termination of pregnancy were studied. Patients were randomly selected to receive fentanyl or alfentanil. Patients received 1 to 2 mg midazolam, 2.0 to 2.5 mg/kg propofol, and 10 to 20 micrograms/kg alfentanil or 1 to 2 micrograms/kg fentanyl for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. In addition all patients were administered 70% N2O and 30% O2. The time from admission to the post anesthesia recovery unit until discharged home was defined as the discharge time. These times were compared using the student's t test to determine if there was a significant difference (P < .05) between the mean discharge time of the two groups. In addition, each patient's total postanesthesia recovery scores were evaluated on admission, at 15 minutes, and at discharge from the post anesthesia recovery unit. These data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test to determine if there was a significant difference in the mean rate of recovery in each area observed. The data revealed no statistically significant difference between the mean discharge times of the two groups or in the total post anesthesia recovery unit recovery scores.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Heather
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martin-Sheridan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015760:Alfentanil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008874:Midazolam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010351:Patient Discharge; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015760:Alfentanil; D008874:Midazolam; D005283:Fentanyl