The effect of desflurane on postoperative olfactory memory

In this study, we investigated the effects of desflurane 6%, on olfactory memory.

This is a prospective clinical study performed with 40 patients aged 18-60 who had elective surgery and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III. The Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT) was used for evaluating patients' olfactory memories before and after the surgery. Patients received standard general anesthesia protocol and routine monitoring. For induction, 1.5 mg/kg of fentanyl, 2 mg/kg of propofol, and 0.5 mg/kg of rocuronium bromide were administered. Anesthesia was maintained with the inhalational of anesthetic desflurane (6%). The scores are recorded 30 minutes before the surgery and when the Aldrete Recovery Score reached 10 in the postoperative period. Preoperative and postoperative results were compared and p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

The patients' mean age was 41.1±12.0. Preoperative total correct answer rate to odorous substances was 92.7%, and postoperative rate was 92.1%. Percentage of the odor substance identification by the patients revealed no statistically significant difference when pre and post-operative rates have been compared (p-value >0.05).

We have observed for the first time in the literature that general anesthesia using desflurane (6%) did not affect short-term olfactory memory. Further studies will be necessary to confirm our findings with larger sample size.