Remifentanil vs alfentanil in the total intravenous anaesthesia for paediatric abdominal surgery.
BACKGROUND
Our aim was to investigate whether total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with remifentanil and alfentanil would ensure appropriate analgesia and recovery conditions in anaesthesia for children undergoing abdominal surgery.


METHODS
Sixty children, scheduled for abdominal operations were randomized to receive, in a double-blind manner, either remifentanil (loading dose 1 microg x kg(-1); maintenance infusion, 0.25 microg x kg(-1) min(-1)) or alfentanil (loading dose 50 microg x kg(-1); maintenance infusion, 1 microg x kg(-1) min(-1)) as the analgesic component of TIVA. They were combined with propofol (loading dose, 2 mg x kg(-1); step 1 maintenance infusion, 10 mg x kg(-1) h(-1); step 2 maintenance infusion, 8 mg x kg(-1) h(-1); step 3 maintenance infusion, 6 mg x kg(-1) h(-1)) neuromuscular blockade was with mivacurium. Dose changes of the drugs, the times from cessation of anaesthesia to extubation, verbal responses, recovery of ventilation, orientation, and qualification for discharge from the postanaesthetic care unit (PACU) were recorded.


RESULTS
Demographics, duration of surgery and anaesthesia were similar between the two groups. Times to extubation and stay in the PACU were significantly shorter in the remifentanil group compared with the alfentanil group. Quality of emergence (QE) from anaesthesia scale scores were higher in the remifentanil group compared with the alfentanil group.


CONCLUSIONS
Remifentanil provides a more rapid recovery and adequate postoperative analgesia after TIVA for paediatric abdominal surgery, compared with alfentanil.
Ganidagli
Suleyman
S
Harran University, Medical School, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Sanliurfa, Turkey. sganidagli@hotmail.com
Cengiz
Mustafa
M
Baysal
Zeynep
Z
D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D015760:Alfentanil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous / Q000379:methods*; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077208:Remifentanil; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D010880:Piperidines; D015760:Alfentanil; D000077208:Remifentanil