Fast-tracking after immersion lithotripsy: general anesthesia versus monitored anesthesia care.
Both monitored anesthesia care (MAC) and general anesthesia (GA) offer advantages over epidural anesthesia for immersion lithotripsy. We compared propofol-based MAC and desflurane-based GA techniques for outpatient lithotripsy. After receiving midazolam 2 mg IV, 100 subjects were randomly assigned to one of two anesthetic treatment groups. In the MAC group, propofol 50-100 microg. kg(-1). min(-1) IV was titrated to maintain an observer's assessment of alertness/sedation score of 2-3 (5 = awake/alert to 1 = asleep). Remifentanil 0.05 microg.kg(-1). min(-1) IV supplemented with 0.125 microg/kg IV boluses, was administered for pain control. In the GA group, anesthesia was induced with propofol 1.5 mg/kg IV and remifentanil 0.125 microg/kg IV and maintained with desflurane (2%-4% inspired) and nitrous oxide (60%). Tachypnea (respiratory rate >20 breaths/min) was treated with remifentanil 0.125 microg/kg IV boluses. In the GA group, droperidol (0.625 mg IV) was administered as a prophylactic antiemetic. Recovery times and postoperative side effects were assessed up to 24 h after the procedure. Compared with MAC, the use of GA reduced the opioid requirement and decreased movements and episodes of desaturation (<90%) during the procedure. Although the GA group took longer to return to an observer's assessment of alertness/sedation score of 5, discharge times were similar in both groups. We conclude that GA can provide better conditions for outpatient immersion lithotripsy than MAC sedation without delaying discharge.


CONCLUSIONS
A desflurane-based general anesthetic technique using the cuffed oropharyngeal airway device was found to be a highly acceptable alternative to propofol-based monitored anesthesia care sedation for outpatient immersion lithotripsy.
Coloma
M
M
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 75235-9068, USA.
Chiu
J W
JW
White
P F
PF
Tongier
W K
WK
Duffy
L L
LL
Armbruster
S C
SC
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D016292:Procedural Sedation; D000077335:Desflurane; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008096:Lithotripsy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D015742:Propofol; D011446:Prospective Studies
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D000077335:Desflurane; D007530:Isoflurane; D015742:Propofol