A randomized, prospective, comparative study was performed to evaluate induction characteristics, haemodynamic changes and recovery in 60 ASA I-II patients undergoing mainly gynaecological
laparotomies with either
propofol or
thiopentone-
enflurane anaesthesia. The
propofol group (
n = 30) received 2 mg.kg-1
propofol for induction of anaesthesia followed by
propofol infusion. The
thiopentone-
enflurane group (
n = 30) received
thiopentone 4 mg.kg-1 for induction followed by
enflurane (0.5-2 per cent). All patients received
nitrous oxide (66 per cent] in
oxygen begun one minute after tracheal intubation, and
fentanyl (1.5 micrograms.kg-1) four minutes prior to induction. Other drugs administered during or after anaesthesia were similar among the groups. Haemodynamic measurements were similar between
propofol and
enflurane groups except after tracheal intubation when the mean arterial pressure was lower in the
propofol group (P less than 0.05). The
propofol group had significantly less (P less than 0.01)
emesis in the recovery room than the
enflurane group. The
propofol group experienced significantly less (P less than 0.05)
dizziness, depression/sadness and hunger than the
enflurane group in the postoperative period as assessed with a visual analogue questionnaire. We conclude that
propofol provided better outcome than
enflurane in terms of these nonvital but annoying outcome measures after relatively long intra-abdominal operations.