Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
09:36
Halogenated Agent Delivery in Porcine Model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via an Intensive Care Unit Type Device
Published on: September 24, 2020
Doxapram shortens recovery following sevoflurane anesthesia
Chi-Chen Wu1, Martin S Mok, Jui-Yuan Chen
1Department of Anesthesiology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wu-Hsin Street, Taipei, Taiwan 110.
Summary
Doxapram (1 mg/kg) significantly speeds up recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia, leading to faster eye opening and higher bispectral index values. This stimulant enhances emergence from anesthesia.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Sevoflurane anesthesia is commonly used for surgical procedures.
- Assessing and optimizing patient recovery from anesthesia is crucial for patient safety and hospital efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of doxapram in accelerating recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia.
- To investigate the impact of doxapram on the bispectral index (BIS) during the recovery phase.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 60 adult patients.
- Patients received either doxapram (1 mg/kg IV) or saline placebo post-surgery.
- Recovery was assessed using clinical parameters (eye opening, extubation, Aldrete score) and BIS monitoring.
Main Results:
- Doxapram significantly reduced time to eye opening compared to placebo (6.9 vs. 9.9 minutes).
- Higher bispectral index scores were observed in the doxapram group post-administration.
- Doxapram increased heart rate but did not affect systolic blood pressure.
Conclusions:
- Doxapram (1 mg/kg) effectively hastens early recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia.
- The observed arousal effect of doxapram correlates with increased bispectral index values.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
01:24General Anesthesia: Overview
Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
01:29Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone
Benzodiazepines are a class of anxiolytic drugs known for their rapid efficacy and high therapeutic-to-lethal dose ratio, but with a potential risk of drug dependence. These drugs are lipophilic, allowing for rapid absorption after oral administration, eventually reaching the central nervous system (CNS). Once in the CNS, benzodiazepines bind to the allosteric site of the GABAA receptor. This binding enhances the inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. By doing so, they prevent...
01:19Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines have both sedative and hypnotic properties. They include compounds such as diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax). Structurally, their cores are similar, consisting of the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring, but they share a common mechanism of action in the central nervous system (CNS).
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
01:20Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates
Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a drug class that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to alleviate anxiety, promote relaxation and induce sleep.These drugs function by amplifying the actions of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), resulting in reduced neuronal activity. Barbiturates, a subset of sedatives and hypnotics first synthesized in the late 1800s, are categorized into ultra-short, short, intermediate, and long-acting groups based on their duration of effect. A key...
01:23Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview
Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...