Abstract:Objective To determine the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane for blunting the response to tracheal extubation in premature infants less than 37 weeks of corrected age. Methods Thirty-one ASA Ⅱ premature infants less than 37 weeks of corrected age were enrolled in this study. Anesthesia inductions were performed by inhaling 6% sevoflurane and the general anesthesia was maintained by totally inhaling sevoflurane. After the operation was finished, the end tidal sevoflurane concentration (ETsev) was adjusted to the target concentration and maintained stable for 15 min. After that, the endotracheal tube was extubated. The Dixon's up-and-down method was used to calculate the MAC. The initial ETsev was 1.6% and was increased or decreased by 0.2% in the next patient according to the endotracheal extubation response. If the extubation response was positive, then the ETsev was increased. If the extubation response was negative, then the ETsev was decreased. The midpoint from negative response to positive response was set as the balance point and the mean value of the concentrations of sevoflurane at all the balance points were calculated as MAC. Results The end tidal sevoflurane concentration for blunting the responses to tracheal extubation in 50% premature infants was 1.43%, and the ED95 was 1.85% (95% confidence interval 1.65%~3.17%). Conclusions The MAC of sevoflurane for blunting the responses to tracheal extubation in premature infants less than 37 weeks of corrected age is 1.43%, which is lower than that in the full-term infants. And this difference is probably because that the central nervous system has not been developed very well in premature infants less than 37 weeks of corrected age.