Reduced emergence agitation with proparacaine hydrochloride eye drops after general anaesthesia for paediatric strabismus surgery

AbstractPurposeTo investigate the effect of proparacaine hydrochloride eye drops on emergence agitation after general anaesthesia for paediatric strabismus surgery.MethodsPaediatric patients (3–12 years-old) receiving strabismus surgery were randomly assigned to receive 1–2 drops of isotonic saline (n = 129) or proparacaine hydrochloride (n = 129) after surgery. The incidence and degree of emergence agitation were recorded and compared between groups.ResultsA significantly lower occurrence of emergence agitation was observed with proparacaine hydrochloride drops compared to isotonic saline (12.4% vs. 31.8%; p < 0.05).ConclusionProparacaine hydrochloride eye drops reduce the incidence of emergence agitation after general anaesthesia for paediatric strabismus surgery