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

Purpose: To investigate the effect of proparacaine hydrochloride eye drops on emergence agitation after general anaesthesia for paediatric strabismus surgery. Methods: Paediatric 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. Results: A significantly lower occurrence of emergence agitation was observed with proparacaine hydrochloride drops compared to isotonic saline (12.4% vs. 31.8%; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Proparacaine hydrochloride eye drops reduce the incidence of emergence agitation after general anaesthesia for paediatric strabismus surgery