RESUMO
This study included 40 patients ASA physical status I or II, aged from 2 to 6 years old. The children underwent elective lower abdominal surgery, genitourinary or lower orthopedic operations. The children were randomly assigned to receive either sevoflurane [group I] or halothane [group II] for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. Each group included 20 patients. From the results obtained, it was concluded that sevoflurane has, in many institution, replaced halothane as the volatile anesthetic agent of choice in children. Although in most circumstances, the advantages of sevoflurane over halothane are small. Unfortunately sevoflurane is expensive and comparing equipotent doses of anesthetic is 20 times more expensive than halothane. However, hemodynamic stability and emergence from sevoflurane anesthesia is more rapid compared to halothane, which overcome this expensive cost