Clinical evaluation of liver function after multiple and prolonged exposures either to halothane or isoflurance

ABSTRACT

Although halothane is the most widely volatile anaesthetic agent used in our country, halothane hepatitis is one of the important problems after the use of halothane. This study is designed to clarify the relation between halothane and liver affection and to compare this relation with that of isoflurane. Fourty patients of ASA grade I and II of both sexes were selected, ranging in age from 16 to 62 years, undergoing elective surgical procedures. All of them had no history of jaundice, liver disease, metabolic or systemic disorders. The patients were classified into two main groups group I [halothane group] and group II [isoflurane group]. Each group was divided into two subgroups; one for multiple exposures and the other for prolonged exposure. For all patients, liver function tests were done preoperatively, 30 minutes postoperatively and after 7 days. The results obtained from this study showed no clinical or laboratory data of jaundice or hepatitis related to the anaesthetics used. All the changes were in the biochemistry and were within the normal range for each liver function tests. In comparison between the anaesthetic agents, it seems that isoflurane results were better than that of halothane results: