title: Recovery following desflurane versus sevoflurane anesthesia for outpatient urologic surgery in elderly females.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An unresolved question is the time required for the ability to return to complex tasks following anesthesia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to characterize the severity and duration of cognitive impairment following sevoflurane or desfluane anesthesia after brief surgery using tests of cognitive ability to objectively testing performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a double blinded randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomized to receive either a desflurane or sevoflurane-based anesthetic. On the morning of the surgery the subjects performed baseline cognitive task tests (Mini Mental Status exam, Trail Making Test Part A and B, Digit Symbol Coding, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Stroop Color and Word Test to determine baseline cognitive function. Cognitive testing was repeated 30 minutes and 1 hour after surgery whereas Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-M) and Memory Aging Telephone Screen (MATS) was used on the following day of surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trail Making Test Part B cognitive test showed statistically significant in comparison for pre and post exposure of anesthetics. This difference was seen in the desflurane group. Other cognitive tests did not show differences on exposure to the anesthetic gases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study questioned the difference between volatile anesthetic agent's effects on patients completing a battery of neurocognitive tests attempting to answer if one agent has a more profound effect. Our study shows no statistically significant cognitive decline except for those in the Trail Making Part B in the Desflurane group. This conclusion is limited by the inherent limitations of the study, but does reinforce that the systemic inflammatory response from the surgery contributes cognitive impairment.
authors: Hahnemann University Hospital, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
authors: Michael S
authors: MS
authors: Green
authors: Hahnemann University Hospital, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
authors: Parmis
authors: P
authors: Green
authors: Hahnemann University Hospital, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
authors: Lee
authors: L
authors: Neubert
authors: Hahnemann University Hospital, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
authors: Kirtanaa
authors: K
authors: Voralu
authors: Hahnemann University Hospital, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
authors: Poovendran
authors: P
authors: Saththasivam
authors: Hahnemann University Hospital, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Mychaskiw
keywords: Anesthesia; Care Postoperative; Complications; Delirium