Comparison of anaesthetic gas consumption and stability of anaesthesia using automatic and manual control over the course of anaesthesia.

Background: The automatic control module of end-tidal volatile agents (EtC) was designed to reduce the consumption of anaesthetic gases, increase the stability of general anaesthesia and reduce the need for adjustments in the settings of the anaesthesia machine. The aim of this study was to verify these hypotheses.

Methods: The course of general anaesthesia with the use of the EtC module was analysed for haemodynamic stability, depth of anaesthesia, end-expiratory concentration of anaesthetic, number of ventilator key presses, fentanyl supply, consumption of volatile agents and anaesthesia and operation times.