THE EFFECTS OF SEVOFLURANE AND PROPOFOL ON ACOUSTIC RHINOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare nasal mucosal vasodilation induced by two different anesthetic used to provide controlled hypotension with the aid of acoustic rhinometry (AR).

Methods: This study is prospective randomized clinical study. Fifty patients were randomized into propofol (Group P; n=25) and sevoflurane (Group S; n=25) groups. During anesthesia induction, Group P received propofol (2 mg kg^-1 IV) and Group S was administered sevoflurane at a minimal alveolar concentration of 6-8%. Anesthesia was maintained with propofol (4 mg kg h^-1) in Group P and 2% sevoflurane in Group S.  Both groups received the analgesic remifentanil at a dose of 0.025 µg kg min^-1. Patients were performed nasal acoustic rhinometry (AR) measurements. Anesthetic doses were adjusted so as to ensure intraoperative hypotension by maintaining mean arterial pressure at 20-25% lower than the baseline value. 

Results: In both groups, a significant difference was detected between AR and nasal minimal cross-sectional areas (MCA) measurements taken from the patients in the supine position, both during the preoperative period and at 30 minutes after the induction of anesthesia, but a meaningful decrease in MCA1 and MCA2 values after the induction of anesthesia was observed for both groups. In addition, differences in measurements taken before and after the induction of anesthesia were greater in amplitude for the sevoflurane group versus the propofol group.

Conclusion:  Controlled hypotension induced using sevoflurane anesthesia might result in higher degrees of vasodilation relative to propofol anesthesia.

Keywords: acoustic rhinometry, vasodilation, sevoflurane, propofol, controlled hypotension.