The Effects of Gender on Receovery Times Following General Anesthesia with Propofol and Sevoflurane
Abstract
Research has shown that men and women metabolize drugs differently, but little is known about how gender affects recovery from general anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in recovery times between men and women following general anesthesia with sevoflurane and propofol. A review of the literature showed two studies where women awoke from general anesthesia significantly faster than men. Following institutional review board approval, 24 men and 24 women were enrolled in this descriptive, non-randomized, quasi-experimental study. After informed consent was obtained, general anesthesia was induced with a standardized weight-based protocol. Anesthesia was then maintained with a propofol infusion and sevoflurane was adjusted to maintain appropriate anesthetic depth. Following discontinuation of anesthetic agents, recovery end points (eye opening and hand grip) were elicited by investigators at one-minute intervals. For the purposes of the study the subject was considered recovered when both end points were met. There was no statistically significant difference in demographics, or type of surgery. No statistically significant difference was found in recovery times between the two groups. This study did not control for local anesthetic injections made by the surgeon that might influence recovery times. Because women continue to experience recall at higher rates than men more studies are needed in this area.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA419843
Entities
People
- Dino R. Dominguez
- Donna T. Gunning
- Sean A. Strait
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology