Outpatient paediatric dental anaesthesia. A comparison of halothane, enflurane and isoflurane.

Summary One hundred and fifty unpremedicated children who presented for dental extractions were anaesthetised with nitrous oxide and halothane, enjurane or isofurane. Ventricular arrhythmias occurred only in the halothane group (14%). Respiratory problems and desaturation were significantly more common in the isoflurane group. Induction times differed significantly between the groups halothane < enflurane < isoflurane, while recovery time and induction to recovery time were significantly shorter in the enflurane group. We suggest that enflurane is the most suitable agent for anaesthetising these patients.