A comparison of volatile and non volatile agents for cardioprotection during on‐pump coronary surgery

Summary A randomised study of 414 patients undergoing coronary artery surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass was conducted to compare the effects of a volatile anaesthetic regimen with either deesflurane or sevoflurane, and a total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) regimen on postoperative troponin T release. The primary outcome variable was postoperative troponin T release, secondary outcome variables were hospital length of stay and 1‐year mortality. Maximal postoperative troponin T values did not differ between groups (TIVA: 0.30 [0.00–4.79] ng.ml−1 (median [range]), sevoflurane: 0.33 [0.02–3.68] ng.ml−1, and desflurane: 0.39 [0.08–3.74] ng.ml−1). The independent predictors of hospital length of stay were the EuroSCORE (p