title: Comparison of early recovery and cognitive function after desflurane and sevoflurane anaesthesia in elderly patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A meta-analysis to compare postoperative cognitive function and the time to specific recovery events in elderly patients (aged >65 years) anaesthetized with sevoflurane or desflurane.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search of the PubMed(®), Embase(®), Cochrane Library and Chinese Biomedical databases was performed using the keywords 'sevoflurane' and 'desflurane'. Data and characteristics of appropriate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were extracted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The meta-analysis included five trials (n = 300). The time taken to follow commands (mean difference [MD] -3.27; 95% confidence intervals [CI] -4.95, -1.59), extubation (MD -1.59; 95%CI -2.62, -0.55), orientation (MD -4.31; 95%CI -4.99, -3.62), and recovery room discharge (MD -9.38; 95%CI -13.43, -5.42) were significantly shorter in the desflurane group than in the sevoflurane group. There was no significant between-drug difference in the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction or the time taken to open the eyes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Desflurane is associated with a faster recovery from general anaesthesia than sevoflurane in elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Youfa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Qingyu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China doctor_haiyanzhou@163.com.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077335:Desflurane; D006801:Humans; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D017594:Publication Bias; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D000077149:Sevoflurane
chemical_list: D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D000077335:Desflurane; D007530:Isoflurane
keywords: Sevoflurane; desflurane; early recovery; postoperative cognitive dysfunction