Low flow anaesthesia: economic, eco friendly and effective

Introduction: Low flow anaesthesia, a technique introduced by Foldes in 1952 has resurged in clinical practice due to easy availability of low solubility inhalational agents. Being economical, ecological and clinically advantageous, it has initiated a renaissance in the field of anaesthesia. This study tested the safety and efficacy of LFA technique using Sevoflurane and its cost effectiveness. Materials and Method: A prospective observational study including 100 patients (ASA I/II,18-65 years) was conducted with the permission of institutional ethical committee and patient's consent. Selected patients were assigned into two groups by computer generated chit with fresh gas flow 3L and 0.5L in high and low flow group respectively. Chi square test and t test were used for stastical analysis. Primary objectives were to assess the economic efficacy of low flow technique and to compare the recovery characteristics of patients. Secondary objectives were to compare haemodynamic stability of patients in between two techniques. Result: Demographic data in both the groups were comparable. Both the techniques were comparable in terms of patient's haemodyanamic stability. Recovery was earlier in low flow group(p<0.05) with complete return of all reflexes. Consumption of sevoflurane was almost 2.5 times less in LFA group (p<0.001) as compared to high flow group. Conclusion: Low flow technique is a safe, economic & efficient technique of general anaesthesia.