Desflurane improves the throughput of patients in the PACU. A cost-effectiveness comparison with isoflurane.

Purpose: In a pharmacoeconomic approach of anesthesia, postanesthesia care unit (PACU) occupancy can be chosen as a criteria of effectiveness to compare two anesthetic drugs with different rates of elimination and different costs of administration. Our objective was to develop a cost-effectiveness approach for the comparison of isoflurane (I) and desflurane (D).

Method: In this prospective observational study, 68 patients aged 18-70 received either D or I for maintenance of anesthesia for inpatient abdominal procedures.