Oral ketamine premedication can prevent emergence agitation in children after desflurane anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether oral ketamine premedication affected the incidence of emergence agitation in children.

METHODS

Thirty minutes before induction of anaesthesia, 80 children who were undergoing adenotonsillectomy with or without bilateral myringotomy and insertion of tubes received either ketamine 6 mg.kg(-1) per oral in group K or sour cherry juice alone in group C. Anaesthesia was maintained with desflurane. Emergence and recovery times were recorded. Tramadol was used for postoperative analgesia. Fentanyl (1 microg.kg(-1)) was administered for the treatment of emergence agitation or severe pain that still continued after tramadol administration. Postoperative behaviour was evaluated using a 5-point agitation scale.

RESULTS

The incidence of emergence agitation was 56% in group C, and 18% in group K (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference with respect to emergence times except from time to eye opening that was significantly longer in group K (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Oral ketamine premedication reduced the incidence of postanaesthesia emergence agitation in children without delaying recovery.