• Ira Todd Cohen, Suzanne Drewsen, and Raafat S Hannallah.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. icohen@cnmc.org
• Paediatr Anaesth. 2002 Sep 1;12(7):604-9.

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to determine if concurrent use of short-acting sedatives would decrease the incidence of emergence agitation associated with desflurane while preserving rapid recovery.MethodsSixty-nine children, aged 2-9 years, who were undergoing adenotonsillectomy, were randomly assigned to three groups: (i) intravenous midazolam 0.1 mg.kg-1; (ii) propofol 2 mg.kg-1; and (iii) control. An observer blind to anaesthetic technique assessed emergence times and behaviour. Data were compared using chi-squared and ANOVA.ResultsMidazolam initially decreased the incidence of emergence agitation but, in the postanaesthesia care unit, significant agitation was seen in all three groups. Emergence and complete recovery were delayed in groups 1 and 2.ConclusionsThe concurrent use of midazolam or propofol did not reduce the incidence of emergence agitation but did delay emergence and recovery. These agents are not recommended for reducing emergence agitation in children receiving desflurane.

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