WITH THE EVER-GROWING NUMBER of surgical procedures performed on outpatients, recovery time from anaesthesia is becoming of increasing importance. This study was undertaken to determine if there is any significant difference in recovery time between patients who receive inhalational anaesthesia and those who receive narcotics. METHODS Forty-one consecutive patients from the outpatient surgical list were studied. All underwent minor surgical procedures. All patients were premedicated with meperidine and atropine (see Table II). All patients were induced with thiopentone and maintained on nitrous oxide and oxygen. Supplementary agents were added at the discretion of each anaesthetist. Fourteen patients received halothane, four enflurane, and one methoxyflurane. Five patients received meperidine, fourteen fentanyl and five a combination of fentanyl with droperidol (see Tables I and II for details of both groups). TABLE I DETAILS OF PATIENTS: NUMBER, I~/IEANS, STANDARD DEVIATION, P VALUES OF AGE AND ~VEIGHT Volatile Narcotic p value Number of patients 19 22 Mean age 35.64-10.7 years 36.54-9.7 years p<0.9* Mean weight 73.54-20.4 Kg 65.54-11.5 Kg p <0.2" *Not significant. TABLE II DETAILS OF ANAESTHESIA: MEANS, STANDARD DEV]AT1ONS, P VALUES OF PREMED1CATION, INDUCTION DOSE OF THIOPENTONE AND DURATION OF ANAESTHESIA Volatile Narcotic p value Mean dose meperidine 55.2-4-11.3 mg 52.7-4-7.5 mg p<0.5* Mean dose thiopentone 405.24-94.1 mg 372.74-10.1 mg p <0.3* Mean time anaesthesia 31.34-12.5 min 21.74-13.0 min p<0.05t *Not significant. tSignificant.

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