Design This reports on a randomised controlled trial conducted in Turkey.InterventionChildren were recruited to the trial who had intellectual disabilities and who underwent general anaesthesia for their dental treatment. Anaesthesia was randomly assigned to be maintained with sevoflurane (2.0–3.0%) or halothane (1.0–1.5%) after participants received inhalation induction either with sevoflurane (8.0%) or halothane (5.0%) and nitrous oxide in oxygen (50:50). Immediately after induction, a suppository of diclofenac was given to all patients. The children also received fentanyl, atropine and atracurium besylate intravenously.Outcome measuresThe time required for recovery (measured using the Aldrete Scale) and the length of time taken before they were discharged (the postanaesthetic discharge scoring system) from the hospital were noted. Pain and agitation were recorded using a visual analogue scale (0 to 10). Other postoperative morbidities, including crying, nausea and vomiting, bleeding and drowsiness, were also noted for 24 h after the operation.ResultsA total of 86 intellectually disabled children were recruited. Forty-two children received sevoflurane whereas 44 received halothane. The most common morbidities during the postoperative 24 h were agitation and pain, and their occurrence was significantly more common in the sevoflurane group than in the halothane group (P<0.05). The recovery time was shorter in the sevoflurane group, but the difference was not statistically significant. There was no difference between the groups in the discharge time.ConclusionsApart from more postoperative agitation and pain after awakening from sevoflurane, the quality of recovery was similar between sevoflurane and halothane in the recovery room and at home during the first 24 h. © 2006 EBD.
