STUDY: DOXAPRAM CAN HELP WITH RECOVERY FROM ANESTHESIA

Doxapram, a central nervous system stimulant, has been shown to help speed recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia, a type of inhaled anesthetic, according to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesiology.

In the double-blind, randomized study, 60 adult patients were randomly allocated to receive either doxapram hydrochloride 1 mg·kg-1 iv or saline placebo after having undergone post-surgical sevoflurane anesthesia treatment. Clinical recovery from anesthesia was assessed by time to eye opening on verbal command, hand squeezing on command and time to extubation. Bispectral index values, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded at baseline (before anesthesia), during surgery, and every minute for 15 minutes after administration of the study drug.

The study results showed that in the doxapram group, time to eye opening was shorter than in the control group. Mean bispectral index scores were also higher in the doxapram group, and the doxpram-treated patients experienced more rapid emergence from the anesthesia.