Desflurane anesthesia worsens emergence agitation in adult patients undergoing thyroid surgery compared to sevoflurane anesthesia

Background The effect of volatile anesthetics on emergence agitation in adults remains unclear. We compared the degree of emergence agitation between desflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia in adults undergoing thyroid surgery. Findings One hundred and sixteen patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists status 1 or 2 were randomized into two groups: the desflurane group (group D) and the sevoflurane group (group S). After induction of anesthesia with fentanyl (1-2 μg/kg) and propofol (1.5-2.5 mg/kg), tracheal intubation was facilitated with suxamethonium (0.5-1.0 mg/kg). In group D, anesthesia was maintained with desflurane in 66% nitrous oxide and 33% oxygen supplemented with fentanyl when necessary; in group S, sevoflurane was used instead of desflurane. After the end of the surgery, emergence agitation was evaluated with a modified pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium scale (ranging from 0 to 16, with higher scores indicating more severe emergence agitation) before extubation. Time to extubation from the end of the surgery, postoperative pain (evaluated by a numerical rating scale [NRS]), and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after surgery were examined. The degree of emergence agitation was more severe in group D than in group S (median [interquartile range]: 5 [4-7] vs 4 [2-6], p = 0.008). Time to extubation, NRS scores, and PONV rates were similar between the two groups. Conclusions Desflurane anesthesia worsened emergence agitation as compared with sevoflurane in adult patients undergoing thyroid surgery, but did not affect time to extubation, postoperative pain, or PONV. Trial registration UMIN000014215.