Effect of desflurane-remifentanil or sevoflurane-remifentanil on early recovery in elderly patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective: We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate different indexes of the postoperative resuscitation period in elderly patients who received desflurane-remifentanil or sevoflurane-remifentanil. Methods: A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of elderly patients who received desflurane-remifentanil or sevoflurane-remifentanil was conducted. Extracted data were analysed using RevMan version 5.3. Results: Six studies involving 336 patients were included. Results indicated that the time to open eyes, time to extubation and time to orientation were faster in the desflurane group than in the sevoflurane group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the time of discharging from the recovery room between the desflurane and sevoflurane groups (P>0.05). The incidence of vomiting and agitation was lower in the desflurane group than in the sevoflurane group (P<0.05). No significant difference of hypotension and hypertension was found (P>0.05). Conclusion: Elderly patients who received desflurane-remifentanil exhibited faster recovery than those who received sevoflurane-remifentanil.