USE OF SIMPLE TESTS TO DETERMINE THE RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF THE ANALGESIC COMPONENT OF BALANCED ANAESTHESIA

In order to evaluate simple means of determining the rate ofrecovery after general anaesthesia, the usefulness of the criticalflicker fusion threshold test, the Maddox wing apparatus andthe visual analogue scale were compared. The postanaestheticrecovery score was used as a reference. Two patient groups (n= 15 in each) received, in a randomized double-blind study,a similar balanced anaesthesia for Caesarean section, exceptthat the analgesic component was either fentanyl 2.5µgkg^–1 i.v. or buprenorphine 7.5 µg kg^–1 i.v.Maddox wing apparatus and visual analogue scale were sensitiveenough to differentiate between the postanaesthetic residualeffects of the two opioids, but critical flicker fusion thresholdand, especially, postanaesthetic recovery score were insensitivein this respect. There was no difference between the two patientgroups in mean arterial pressure and heart rate. Our resultsshow that the residual effects of different kinds of opioidsas an analgesic component of balanced anaesthesia can be differentiatedusing simple means like Maddox wing apparatus and visual analoguescales.