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Clonidine does not delay recovery from anaesthesia.
S Bellaïche1, F Bonnet, M Sperandio
1Département d'Anesthésie Réanimation, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Creteil, France.
British Journal of Anaesthesia
|March 1, 1991
Summary
Oral clonidine (150 micrograms) given before thyroid surgery does not delay patient recovery from anesthesia. This study found no significant difference in recovery times between patients receiving clonidine, flunitrazepam, or both.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Clonidine is recognized for reducing anesthetic needs and enhancing hemodynamic stability as a premedication.
- Its potential impact on post-anesthetic recovery warrants investigation, particularly in surgical patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate whether oral clonidine premedication interferes with the recovery process from general anesthesia.
- To compare recovery profiles between patients receiving clonidine, flunitrazepam, or a combination of both.
Main Methods:
- A randomized study involving 46 ASA I-II patients undergoing thyroid surgery.
- Patients received either flunitrazepam (1 mg), clonidine (150 micrograms), or both, 2 hours prior to surgery.
- Anesthesia involved thiopentone, alfentanil, isoflurane, and nitrous oxide. Recovery was assessed via clinical scores, electro-oculography, and reaction times.
Main Results:
- Psychomotor performance significantly decreased post-operatively in all three groups (P < 0.05).
- Performance returned to baseline levels by 240 minutes after recovery room arrival.
- No statistically significant differences in recovery parameters were observed between the clonidine, flunitrazepam, and combination groups.
Conclusions:
- Pre-operative oral administration of 150 micrograms of clonidine does not appear to impede recovery from anesthesia.
- Clonidine can be safely used as premedication without compromising the speed or quality of anesthetic emergence.