Forty patients scheduled to undergo general anesthesia with isoflurane were enrolled in this prospective, double-blind, randomized trial. Patients were randomized to receive, at the end of anesthesia, flumazenil or placebo as allocated into two groups. The anesthetic technique was standardized. The groups were compared concerning values of cerebral state index (CSI), heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation from the application of flumazenil or placebo until 30 min after injection. Data regarding time to extubation, time to reach 10 points in the Aldrete–Kroulic score (AK = 10) and Vigilance score (VS = 10) was also collected. ANOVA test was applied to analyze the results, considering p < 0.05.
Patients receiving flumazenil achieved faster extubation than the control (p = 0.033). No differences were observed in values of CSI, the time until AK = 10 and until VS = 10.
Administration of flumazenil at the end of isoflurane general anesthesia resulted in earlier extubation in studied patients.