Perioperative medicine & outcomes
EEG alpha power and delirium in the postanaesthesia care unit in older adults: the AlphaMax trial part 2 - effect of propofol infusion during emergence from desflurane anaesthesia☆
Authors' conclusion
Propofol infusion decreased EEG alpha power and increased burst suppression during emergence; however, there was no difference in the incidence of delirium in the PACU.
Study context
- Population
- Male and female patients aged ≥60 yr receiving a standardised desflurane and fentanyl anaestheticaged 73 (66–80) yr
- Participants
- 200 participants
- Comparison
- Propofol vs Routine care
- Primary endpoint
- EEG alpha power during emergence
Methodological detailssample size reduced for feasibility, underpowered for PACU delirium
- Sample size reduced for feasibility
- Underpowered for PACU delirium
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Propofol
−3.06
SD 4.1 · dB
Routine care
−1.82
SD 3.6 · dB
P = 0.026
Secondary outcomes
PACU delirium (key secondary) · underpowered for PACU delirium
P = 0.614
Burst suppression during emergence
P < 0.001
Factors linked to disorganised thinking (exploratory)
- Disorganised thinking associated with lower preoperative Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores, lower body weight, higher NSQIP scores, lower intraoperative EEG alpha power, more delta inertia during emergence, and longer PACU and hospital stays
- Exploratory analysis
Original publication
EEG alpha power and delirium in the postanaesthesia care unit in older adults: the AlphaMax trial part 2 - effect of propofol infusion during emergence from desflurane anaesthesia☆. Br J Anaesth. Published 23 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →