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BJA Advance Access published online on April 15, 2005
British Journal of Anaesthesia, doi:10.1093/bja/aei141
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© The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia 2005. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journal.permissions@oupjournals.org
Accepted February 10, 2005

Clinical Investigation

Comparison of propofol/remifentanil and sevoflurane/remifentanil for maintenance of anaesthesia for elective intracranial surgery

J. R. Sneyd 1*, C. J. H. Andrews 2, and T. Tsubokawa 2

1 Peninsula Medical School, C310 Portland Square, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
2 Department of Anaesthesia, Pain Management and Critical Care Medicine, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. R. Sneyd, E-mail: robert.sneyd{at}pms.ac.uk


  Abstract

Background. Propofol and sevoflurane are suitable agents for maintenance of anaesthesia during neurosurgical procedures. We have prospectively compared these agents in combination with the short-acting opioid, remifentanil.

Methods. Fifty unpremedicated patients undergoing elective craniotomy received remifentanil 1 µg kg-1 followed by an infusion commencing at 0.5 µg kg-1 min-1 reducing to 0.25 µg kg-1 min-1 after craniotomy. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol, and maintained with either a target-controlled infusion of propofol, minimum target 2 µg ml-1 or sevoflurane, initial concentration 2%ET. Episodes of mean arterial pressure (MAP) more than 100 mm Hg or less than 60 mm Hg for more than 1 min were defined as hypertensive or hypotensive events, respectively. A surgical assessment of operating conditions and times to spontaneous respiration, extubation, obey commands and eye opening were recorded. Drug acquisition costs were calculated.

Results. Twenty-four and twenty-six patients were assigned to propofol (Group P) and sevoflurane anaesthesia (Group S), respectively. The number of hypertensive events was comparable, whilst more hypotensive events were observed in Group S than in Group P (P=0.053, chi-squared test). As rescue therapy, more labetolol [45 (33) vs 76 (58) mg, P=0.073] and ephedrine [4.80 (2.21) vs 9.78 (5.59) mg, P=0.020] were used in Group S. Between group differences in recovery times were small and clinically unimportant. The combined hourly acquisition costs of hypnotic, analgesic, and vasoactive drugs appeared to be lower in patients maintained with sevoflurane than with propofol.

Conclusion. Propofol/remifentanil and sevoflurane/remifentanil both provided satisfactory anaesthesia for intracranial surgery.

Keywords: anaesthetics i.v., propofol; anaesthetics volatile, sevoflurane; surgery, neurosurgery, craniotomy.
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