title: Effect of a small dose of propofol or ketamine to prevent coughing and laryngospasm in children awakening from general anesthesia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coughing during emergence from general anesthesia may be detrimental in children. We compared the effect of a small dose of propofol or ketamine administered at the end of sevoflurane anesthesia on the incidence or severity of coughing in children undergoing a minimal invasive operation.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighteen children aged between 3 and 15 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status I, were enrolled in this randomized double blind study. Anesthesia was induced with propofol or ketamine and maintained with sevoflurane in N(2)O/O(2). Each group received propofol 0.25 mg/kg or ketamine 0.25 mg/kg and the control group received saline 0.1 ml/kg. The decision to perform tracheal extubation was based on specified criteria, including the resumption of spontaneous respiration. During emergence from anesthesia and extubation, coughing was observed and graded at predefined times.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of emergence without coughing was higher in the propofol group than in the ketamine and control group (19%, 11% and 6%, respectively), whereas the incidence of severe coughing was higher in the control group than in propofol and ketamine group (17.14%, 10.0% and 6.98%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The addition of propofol 0.25 mg/kg decreased the incidence of coughing after sevoflurane general anesthesia in children undergoing non-painful procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hae Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Pak
authors.forename: Won Hyung
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Youn Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi