title: Recovery index, attentiveness and state of memory after xenon or isoflurane anaesthesia: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Performance of patients immediately after anaesthesia is an area of special interest and so a clinical trial was conducted to compare Xenon with Isoflurane anaesthesia. In order to assess the early cognitive recovery the syndrome short test (SST) according to Erzigkeit (Geromed GmbH) was applied.
  
  
  METHODS
  ASA I and II patients undergoing long and short surgical interventions were randomised to receive either general anaesthesia with Xenon or Isoflurane. The primary endpoint was the validated SST which covering memory disturbances and attentiveness. The test was used on the day prior to intervention, one and three hours post extubation. The secondary endpoint was the recovery index (RI) measured after the end of the inhalation of Xenon or Isoflurane. In addition the Aldrete score was evaluated up to 180 min. On the first post-operative day the patients rated the quality of the anaesthetic using a scoring system from 1-6.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The demographics of the groups were similar. The sum score of the SST delivered a clear trend one hour post extubation and a statistically significant superiority for Xenon three hours post extubation (p < 0.01). The RI likewise revealed a statistically significant superiority of Xenon 5 minutes post extubation (p < 0.01). The Aldrete score was significantly higher for 45 min. The scoring system results were also better after Xenon anaesthesia (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that recovery from anaesthesia and the early return of post-operative cognitive functions are significantly better after Xenon anaesthesia compared to Isoflurane. The results of the RI for Xenon are similar with the previously published results.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The trial was registered with the number ISRCTN01110844 http://www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn/pf/01110844.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology/Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine/Pain Therapy, BG-Kliniken Bergmannstrost, (Merseburger Strasse 165), Halle/Saale, (06112), Germany. ralph.stuttmann@bergmannstrost.com.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stuttmann
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jakubetz
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: Utz
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ullmann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hilbert
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