Effects of chlorpheniramine on emergence agitation after general anesthesia for ureteroscopic stone surgery: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: The presence of a urinary catheter, postoperative pain, and postoperative nausea and vomiting are risk factors for emergence agitation (EA). Antimuscarinic agents are primary agents used in the prevention and treatment of urinary catheter-related bladder discomfort. Chlorpheniramine has antimuscarinic, antinociceptive, and antiemetic effects. This retrospective study investigated the role of chlorpheniramine in EA prevention following ureteroscopic stone surgery. METHODS: Of 110 adult patients who underwent ureteroscopic stone surgery under general anesthesia between January and December 2019, the medical records of 93 patients were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into control (n = 52) and chlorpheniramine (n = 41) groups according to the receipt of intravenous chlorpheniramine before the induction of anesthesia. The incidence and severity of EA were compared between the groups as primary and secondary endpoints, respectively. The effects of chlorpheniramine on the requirement for inhalation anesthetic (desflurane) during surgery, changes in mean blood pressure and heart rate during emergence, and adverse events were also compared. RESULTS: The incidence (21.2% in the control group, 24.4% in the chlorpheniramine group) and severity of EA did not differ between groups. The intraoperative requirement for desflurane, changes in mean blood pressure and heart rate during emergence, and adverse events were also similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Chlorpheniramine was not associated with a decrease in EA incidence or severity in patients who underwent ureteroscopic stone surgery.