[Desflurane--general anesthesia for cesarean section compared with isoflurane and epidural anesthesia]

Desflurane 2.5% was compared to Isoflurane 0.5% in a randomized study in terms of maternal and newborn effect on both groups with epidural anesthesia. Fifty patients under general anesthesia were randomly designated to receive either desflurane 2.5% or isoflurane 0.5% maintained in a 50-50% nitrous oxide and oxygen mixture. Twenty-five patients were assigned to receive epidural anesthesia using 15 ml ropivacaine 7.5 mg/ml with fentanyl 100 micrograms. Intraoperative hemodynamic changes, blood loss and maternal awareness were recorded. Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min., neurologic adaptive capacity scores (NACS) at 2 and 24 hours and umbilical vein blood gas analysis were done to assess the neonatal outcome. Intraoperatively, heart rate and blood pressure changes were similar in both desflurane and Isoflurane group at 0.4% MAC (minimal alveolar concentration). Blood loss and arterial blood gas analysis were not problematic and did not differ significantly between the three groups. In the desflurane group, the patients were more easily awake and cooperative compared to the isoflurane group. The patients were interviewed about intraoperative awareness 24 and 48 h after the operation. None of them reported awareness during the operation. Similarly, the level of postoperative comfort was the same in both groups. Comparing the general and epidural anesthetic groups, no differences could be detected in neonatal outcomes. Conclusion is that there is one significant difference between desflurane 2.5% and isoflurane 0.5% anesthesia for cesarean section and it is the rapid recovery characteristic with desflurane which makes it an attractive alternative to TIVA (total intravenous anesthesia) and to other inhalational anesthetics available to obstetric anesthesiologists.