Double-blind comparison of patient recovery after induction with propofol or thiopentone for day-case relaxant general anaesthesia

Abstract

Postoperative recovery after induction with either propofol or thiopentone has been compared in forty ASA I unpremedicated day surgery patients undergoing surgical extraction of third molar teeth under relaxant general anaesthesia. Mean recovery times in the propofol group, required for patients to sit out of bed (44.8 minutes; SD 18.6) and meet discharge criteria (113.1 minutes; SD 34.5) were significantly (P less than 0.05) shorter than those in the thiopentone group (59.7 minutes; SD 21.4 and 133.5 minutes; SD 34.5). Fewer patients in the propofol group were treated in the recovery room for nausea and vomiting and the incidence of mild nausea not requiring treatment was less in the propofol group, but these differences were not statistically significant. Postoperative mental performance, measured by the FAST index, a new test of mental speed, was reduced on average by 1.7% of preoperative levels, during the recovery period tested, with no significant difference between the groups.