COMPARISON OF HALOTHANE AND ENFLURANE ANAESTHESIA FOR OTOLARYNGOLOGICAL SURGERY IN CHILDREN

Halothane and enflurane were compared in 132 children undergoingadenoidectomy with or without tonsillectomy. Anaesthesia foradenoidectomy was induced with thiopentone or Althesin and fortonsillectomy with thiopentone. The response to surgery wasminimal (0–5%) during both inhalation anaesthetics. Duringimmediate recovery, respiratory depression was more profoundafter enflurane than after halothane. Both the i.v. and theinhalation anaesthetics had an influence on recovery. The totalrecovery scores (0–10) based on activity, respiration,heart rate, consciousness and colour improved most rapidly afterAlthesin + enflurane and most slowly after thiopentone + halothanein the adenoidectomy groups. In the tonsillectomy groups, therecovery scores were better after enflurane than after halothane.After both inhalation anaesthetics, the frequency of shiveringranged from 0 to 17%.