Comment The authors start their report by criticizing the lack of standardization and controls in previous studies by other workers. They then purport to study three anesthetic agents with a design that is not pure. The fact that all patients were given a narcotic, pethidine, preoperatively and glycopyrrolate at induction immediately makes this a mixed study and one that no longer compares the agents listed. The design of the study then calls for one-sided crossover. The potent inhalation agents receive fentanyl but the fentanyl group did not receive isoflurane or en-flurane. Some claim nitrous oxide has been implicated in nausea and vomiting. It was also used in this study. The authors need to be as critical of their own study design as they have been of others. Because of the way it was conducted and reported, this study has little scientific merit. William D. Owens, M.D.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hovorka et al. (1989) studied this question.