Women emerge from general anesthesia faster than men

Interest in the speed with which patients recover post operatively, the type of deficits that anesthesia may induce in them and the overall profile of their physiologic and psychological states, has grown rapidly over the last two decades. Recovery from general anesthesia is dependent on factors governing drug sensitivity and drug disposition. In our study of 60 males and 60 females we have tried to find out if there is any significant difference in males and females, in their emergence from the effects of general anesthesia. This was a double blind study carried out in hundred and twenty patients, aged 18-70 years scheduled to undergo elective general surgical procedures. Patient recovery was observed continuously after the termination of anesthesia. Timings of initial wake up events were recorded by the anesthesiologist who was blinded to this study. The time from discontinuation of anesthesia to eye opening was 6.87 +/- 2.54 min (P < 0.001; t test) for women versus 8.78 +/- 2.66 min in men; time to respond to verbal command was 7.53 +/- 2.05 and 9.61 +/- 2.14 min in women and men, respectively (P < 0.001; t test). Considering the multitude of factors that may influence recovery, the gender effect appears to be a strong one. The difference could probably be explained by differences in physiology, enzyme activity etc. Investigators have noted that normal differences account for changes in function of the GABA receptor known to be important in the action of many anesthetics.