ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Doxapram hydrochloride is a respiratory stimulant that produces arousal effects in patients under anesthesia. We investigated the effects of doxapram on the recovery time and BIS index of patients administered desflurane inhalational anesthesia. METHODS: 40 patients who underwent general anesthesia using desflurane that had an ASA physical status of I or II received either 1 mg/kg of doxapram hydrochloride (doxapram group, n = 20) or normal saline (control group, n = 20) IV at end of surgery. Anesthetic recovery after the injection of doxapram was then determined based on the time to eye opening in response to verbal command, hand squeezing on command, time to extubation, and Aldrete recovery score. BIS index, systolic blood pressure, tidal volume and heart rate were recorded every minute for up to thirteen minutes. RESULTS: The doxapram group showed significantly shorter times to emergence based on eye opening in response verbal command (sec) (409 +/- 114 vs 320 +/- 116), hand squeezing on command (sec) (458 +/- 119 vs 351 +/- 114) and extubation (sec) (491 +/- 103 vs 418 +/- 79) compared to control group. The BIS score was not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The Bis index was not significant higher in the doxapram group, with the exception of the measurement recorded at 2 minutes, however the recovery time from desflurane inhalational anesthesia was faster in the doxapram group than the control group.