Rapid recovery from sevoflurane and desflurane with hypercapnia and hyperventilation.

BACKGROUND

Hypercapnia with hyperventilation shortens the time between turning off the vaporizer (1 MAC) and when patients open their eyes after isoflurane anesthesia by 62%.

METHODS

In the present study we tested whether a proportional shortening occurs with sevoflurane and desflurane.

RESULTS

Consistent with a proportional shortening, we found that hypercapnia with hyperventilation decreased recovery times by 52% for sevoflurane and 64% for desflurane (when compared with normal ventilation with normocapnia).

CONCLUSION

Concurrent hyperventilation to rapidly remove the anesthetic from the lungs and rebreathing to induce hypercapnia can significantly shorten recovery times and produce the same proportionate decrease for anesthetics that differ in solubility.