Evaluation of burnout and stress perception levels of Turkish dental laboratory technicians according to affecting factors during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused healthcare professionals to face unequal acute workplace stress and burnout. This study aimed to analyze the potential impact of COVID-19 on the burnout and associated emotional stress conditions of Turkish dental technicians.

METHODS

A 20-question demographic scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Sense of Coherence-13 (SoC-13), and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) were used to obtain data. A total of 152 participants answered these surveys directly and reported their stress burnout levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

Of all participants who agreed to participate in the survey, 39.5% were females and 60.5% were males. Regardless of demographic variables, the MBI-total (37.2 ± 11.71), SoC-13 total (53.81 ± 10.29), and PSS-10 total (21.25 ± 5.5) scores indicated moderate burnout, SoC, and perceived stress levels. According to sub-scores of the MBI; mean emotional exhaustion and depersonalization indicate low-level burnout, and mean personal accomplishment indicates moderate burnout. Long working hours increase burnout. No significant differences were observed according to demographic variables, except for work experience. A positive correlation was found between perceived stress and burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings showed that dental technicians working during the COVID-19 pandemic are influenced by emotional stress due to the outcomes of the pandemic. One reason for this situation might be the long working hours. Working arrangements, under-controlled disease risk factors, and lifestyle changes may improve stress levels.Key MessagesCOVID-19 outbreak exposed psychological returns to the general population, and especially to healthcare workers.Questionnaire method was applied to evaluate the burnout and stress levels among dental laboratory technicians during COVID-19 outbreak.Moderate levels of burnout and stress perception were detected. Long working time was one of the effective factors.

Assessment of burnout level among clinical dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak has caused especially health workers to face mental and physical problems all over the world. The aim of this study is to evaluate burnout, stress perception and perceived social support levels of clinical (the fourth and fifth year) dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

The Sociodemographic Information Form (SIF), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Sense of Coherence-13 (SoC-13), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used for data. Questionnaires were answered directly or online by the participants.

RESULTS

A total of 211 participants, 67.8% were female, 32.2% were male. Of these, 96.2% were aged 20-24 years, 84.4% were nuclear family, 11.8% were extended family, and 3.8% were blended family, and 91.5% were willingly for dentistry choice. Based on the results; the total burnout score indicated moderate burnout (41.99 ± 9.94), the SoC-13 scale indicated a strong sense of coherence (55.24 ± 7.21), the PSS-10 score (22.44 ± 3.44) indicated moderate perceived stress and the MSPSS score (65.92 ± 13.22) indicated high perceived social support. A positive correlation was found between perceived stress and burnout. Based on the personal accomplishment subscale; females, those living in extended family, and those who unwillingly choose dentistry among the clinical dental students had higher intense burnout (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrated that clinical dental students were affected by the emotional stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic conditions. In the education of dentistry faculties, it would be appropriate to carry out comprehensive studies on adaptation to the changing living conditions with the COVID-19 pandemic and taking the necessary measures for the psychological distress caused by the difficulties experienced.

From dyspepsia to complicated peptic ulcer: new markers in diagnosis and prognosis

OBJECTIVE

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) may present with different clinical findings, ranging from mild dyspeptic complaints to mortal complications, such as gastrointestinal system perforation. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential blood parameters that can be used in the diagnosis of PUD and prediction of complications.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 80 patients with dyspeptic complaints, 83 patients with PUD, and 108 patients with peptic ulcer perforation (PUP) who were treated in our hospital between January 2017 and December 2020 were included in the study. Clinical findings, laboratory data, and imaging methods were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The mean age of 271 (154 men, 117 women) patients included in the study was 56.04 ± 17.98 (mean ± standard deviation) years. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), mean platelet volume, white blood cell, C-reactive protein, and neutrophil values were higher in patients with PUP compared to other groups (p < 0.001 for all). In the PUD group, only red blood cell distribution width was significantly higher compared to the patient group with dyspeptic complaints. In the postoperative period, NLR and PLR were significantly higher in patients who developed severe complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification compared to patients who developed mild complications.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that simple blood parameters can be used as diagnostic markers at different stages of PUD. NLR and PLR can be helpful in the diagnosis of PUP and red blood cell distribution width can be used to differentiate patients with peptic ulcer from dyspeptic patients. Additionally, NLR and PLR can be used to predict serious postoperative complications after PUP surgery.

Surface roughness and characteristics of CAD/CAM zirconia and glass ceramics after combined treatment procedures

BACKGROUND

The roughening of the inner surface of a fixed ceramic restoration is an important factor for the bonding process. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of combined surface treatments (acid etching, air-abrasion and Er: YAG Laser) on surface roughness of CAD/CAM fabricated zirconia (ZrO₂) and lithium-disilicate glass ceramics (LDS).

METHODS

Sixty ZrO₂ (Ceramill Zi) and LDS (IPS e.max CAD) specimens, (5 mm in width, 5 mm in length and 1.5 mm in height) were fabricated using CAD/CAM and sintered according to the manufacturer's instructions. All specimens subjected to three surface treatment combinations; etching with 4% hydrofluoric acide (HF), airborne-particle abrasion with 110-μm alumina (Al₂O₃) (AP) and Er:YAG laser (Er:YAG) (Group A-HF + AP; Group B-Er:YAG + AP, and Group C-Er:YAG + HF). Perthometer was used to measure the surface roughness of the specimens before and after the tretments.

RESULTS

Group A presented the highest Ra (LDS 0.81 ± 0.27 and ZrO₂ 0.67 ± 0.21 after treatment) and Group C the lowest (LDS 0.45 ± 0.13 and ZrO₂ 0.26 ± 0.07, after treatment). Compared with before treatment, the Ra were significantly different only in Group A both ZrO₂ and LDS after treatment (p < 0.05). Qualitative SEM images suggested the surface topography of the ZrO₂ was smoother than the LDS. Less surface changes were observed in the Er:YAG combined procedures than HF + AP.

CONCLUSIONS

HF + AP was significantly succesful in modifying the ceramic surface. Er:YAG did not sufficiently promote the surface topography, even if combined with any other treatments. Overall, surface tretments on ZrO₂ not easier than LDS.

Vessel sealing system vs. conventional knot-tying for hilar dissection during living donor hepatectomy: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study

OBJECTIVE

LT has become the gold standard treatment for many liver diseases, especially chronic liver disease. A commonly seen problem, even in donors who do not develop any major complications after living donor hepatectomy (LDH), is the persistent drainage of lymphatic fluid from the hepatectomy site drain, which causes extensive hospitalization and consequent loss to the workforce. To our knowledge, no study has yet been published comparing LVSS and conventional knot-tying methods for hilar dissection, which is an important stage of the LDH procedure. We aimed to prospectively compare the outcomes of these two treatment methods.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Donor candidates were divided into two groups: conventional suture tying (conventional knot tying group; n=34) and Ligasure vessel sealing system (LVSS; n=34). A simple randomization method of drawing lots was used to assign the patients to each group. The following parameters were analyzed for all patients: age, gender, BMI, duration of surgery, postoperative drainage amounts, drain removal times and complications, length of hospital stay, morbidity, and mortality.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in terms of operative times, postoperative drainage levels, hospital stay or drain removal times.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the use of LVSS in LDH was found to be safe, although it did not offer any advantage over conventional methods. Nevertheless, it seems probable that the use of LVSS could reduce operative time and amounts of lymphatic drainage, especially in centers with minimal experience with LDH, such as new LDH centers.

Hepatitis B/D-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma. A Clinical Literature Review

AIM

Given the current literature data, this article aims to shed light on the epidemiological and clinical effects of HBV, as well as its impact on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

A review of the English language literature based on a MEDLINE (PubMed) database was searched. The keywords were cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, epidemiology, hepatitis delta virus, hepatitis B virus, and co-infection. All references from retrieved papers were reviewed systematically to find additional collection of reports.

RESULTS

The study has broadly confirmed the contribution of HDV viremia to liver disease and cirrhosis. However, uncertainty over the mechanism of action on HCC development remains. As the recent data has demonstrated, the HCC-HDV has a unique molecular profile which is distinct from that of HBV-HCC.

CONCLUSION

Owing to the dependence of HDV on HBV, it is not clear whether HCC is a consequence of the cumulative effect of both HBV and HDV, an effect of the underlying cirrhosis, or a direct oncogenic effect of HDV. Many questions concerning the oncogenic role of HDV remain unanswered. To better understand the role of HDV in carcinogenesis, studies at the molecular level that consider genotype differences should be increased. Multicenter, high-volume, and prospective studies that compare HBV/HDV co-infected and HBV-infected individuals will be pivotal in determining the oncogenic role of HDV.

Health-related quality of life in edentulous patients

This study aimed to assess Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHQoL) and satisfaction in patients who had complete denture treatment and were diagnosed with systemic diseases. Eighty edentulous patients using new complete dentures were separated into four groups according to their diseases [diabetes mellitus (DM)/osteoporosis (OP)/hypertension (HP)/healthy (control)]. The groups answered the Turkish version of the United Kingdom-Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHQoL-UK) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) questionnaire four weeks after treatment. OHQoL-UK scores were slightly higher for females regardless of the type of disease. Compared with the control participants (57.95±5.33), the scores of the OHQoL-UK were not significantly different in OP and HP groups except for the DM group (58.7±5.37, 58.9±6.44, 45.3±5.19 respectively). DM was significantly associated with the increase of OHQoL values (p<0.05). Patients in all groups reported significantly higher "physical health" scores than other subdomains of OHQoL-UK, although positive correlations were determined among them. Presence of disease had no relationship to the VAS scores. This study shows that systemic diseases might not affect and predict patients' satisfaction with their complete dentures and OHQoL. DM is an independent risk factor for oral health. Satisfaction with the prosthesis might concern a patient's level of OHQoL.

Evaluation of Candida albicans adherence on the surface of various maxillofacial silicone materials

OBJECTIVES

Fungal infection resulting from Candida adherence on material surface is one of the most important medical risks for maxillofacial prosthesis wearers. Despite wide usage, there is a sparse data evaluating C. albicans adherence on various commercial maxillofacial silicone materials that have different surface contact angles. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between surface contact angle and fungal adherence on widely used maxillofacial silicone materials.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three maxillofacial silicone materials titled VST-50, A-2006, and A-2186F were used for fabrication of disc-shaped specimens. Surface contact angle of specimens were measured by the goniometric method. Adhesion quantity of two different C. albicans strains was evaluated with a colorimetric method using XTT/Coenzyme Q0. The Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for statistical analysis of data.

RESULTS

The lowest surface contact angle values with the highest Candida adhesion quantity were measured on the specimens fabricated with A-2006 silicone material. Statistically significant differences were found among three maxillofacial silicone materials in terms of both surface contact angle values and adhesion quantity (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

There is a close relationship between surface contact angle and quantity of Candida adherence. However, it should be noted that various factors arising from material properties may affect the complex nature of the Candida adhesion process.

Assessment of health-related quality of life in Turkish patients with facial prostheses

Background

Facial prostheses are intended to provide a non-operative rehabilitation for patients with acquired facial defects. By improving aesthetics and quality of life (QOL), this treatment involves reintegration of the patient into family and social life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of QOL in adult patients with facial prostheses and to compare this perception with that of a control group.

Methods

The study participants consisted of 72 patients, who were divided into three equal-sized groups according to the type of prosthesis (OP- orbital prosthesis, AP- auricular prosthesis, NP - nasal prosthesis) and 24 healthy control participants without any congenital or acquired deformity of face or body. Clinical and socio-demographic data were gathered from each person’s medical chart. Participants completed the Turkish version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF). Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, Pearson's chi-square test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Pearson correlation were used to analyse the data.

Results

Compared with the control participants, patients with NP scored lower on the all domains of QOL and all three patient groups had lower scores on overall QOL and its domains of physical and environmental health. Patients with OP reported significantly lower physical health scores than those with AP, while patients with NP reported significantly lower overall QOL and psychological health scores than those with AP. Female patients had lower environmental domain scores than did male patients. The patient’s age and income correlated with social relationships QOL, while the patient’s income and the age of facial prosthesis were correlated with environmental QOL.

Conclusion

Patients with facial prostheses had lower scores in overall QOL, physical and environmental health domains than the control participants. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, gender, income, localization of the defect, and age of facial prosthesis were associated with patients’ QOL. These findings may provide valuable information about the specific health needs of these patients that may affect their well-being. Further studies are needed to confirm these results. Use of the WHOQOL-BREF may provide valuable information for determining patients’ needs and priorities as well as for planning and developing comprehensive prosthetic rehabilitation programs.

Assessment of implant stability of patients with and without radiotherapy using resonance frequency analysis

The purpose of this study was to clinically monitor the stability of dental implants in patients with and without a history of radiotherapy, using resonance frequency analysis over 1 year. The stability of patients with 80 implants was monitored with resonance frequency analysis (Osstell Mentor) over 1 year. Data were assessed with Mann-Whitney U test and correlation analysis. Irradiated maxillary implants showed statistically lower values than the mandibular implants at a significant level (P < .05).

Effects of complete dentures on respiratory performance: spirometric evaluation

OBJECTIVES

There is a lack of data regarding whether edentulous subjects should remove dentures during spirometric measurements or not. The purpose of this study is to determine influences of complete dentures on spirometric parameters in edentulous subjects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 46 complete denture wearers were included in this study. Respiratory functions of the subjects were evaluated by spirometric tests that were performed in four different oral conditions: without dentures (WOD), with dentures, lower denture only and upper denture only. Forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow, forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% were evaluated. The data were analyzed with Friedman, Wilcoxon and paired-samples t tests (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

Significant differences were found between spirometric parameters in different oral conditions (p < 0.05). In all spirometric parameters, the most important significant differences were found between conditions WOD, FVC and with lower dentures (FVC), and WOD (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) and with upper dentures (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

It was observed that complete dentures may unfavourably affect spirometric values of edentulous subjects. However, current findings need to be confirmed with advanced respiratory function tests.

Effect of chronic anal fissure components on isosorbide dinitrate treatment

BACKGROUND

Chronic anal fissure is diagnosed in the presence of persistent symptoms: The classic triad includes a linear mucosal tear exposing the internal sphincter fibers, hypertrophied anal papilla, and a sentinel skin tag. Thus, chronic anal fissure can be divided into three components: the fissure itself; hypertrophied anal papilla; the sentinel skin tag. Not every chronic anal fissure has all three components; some have two components, and others present with only a persistent fissure. The success rate of medical treatment for chronic anal fissure is reported as 42-86 %. In this study, we intended to observe the effect of said components on healing with isosorbide dinitrate treatment.

METHODS

A total of 105 patients with chronic anal fissures were admitted and were divided into three groups. Patients in group I had a single component (only the fissure with a linear mucosal tear exposing the internal sphincter fibers); group II had two components (skin tag or hypertrophied papilla in addition to the fissure); group III had all three components (fissure, skin tag, hypertrophied papilla). Isosorbide dinitrate 0.25 % was applied three times a day.

RESULTS

The success rates in the study groups were 93, 74, and 64 %, respectively. The success rate was significantly higher for group I than for groups II and III.

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic anal fissure components should be considered when evaluating the success rates of studies reporting the results of various medical treatments. The number of components seems to be an important factor that affects the results of isosorbide dinitrate treatment.

A modified feeding plate for a newborn with cleft palate

Objectives : Cleft palate is a common congenital maxillofacial defect. We wish to present the fabrication of a modified feeding plate that will adapt to the changing palatal and velopharyngeal morphology during function. Case Report : A neonate with unilateral cleft lip and palate was referred to our clinic for the fabrication of a feeding plate. Intraoral examination revealed a cleft involving the uvula and the soft palate, with an alveolar defect on the left side. An impression was taken and a dental cast was obtained. A 1-mm Bioplast clear soft plate was pressed on the model. After trimming the edges of the plate, several retentive holes were made for its attachment to the hard plate. With the Bioplast soft plate replaced on the cast, plaster was used to cover parts of the soft plate that were not to come in contact with the hard plate. Biocryl resin was put on the retentive holes and 2-mm Biocryl C Rosa-transparent plate was pressed. The edges of the plate were cut, trimmed, and polished. Conclusion : This modified feeding plate effectively obstructed the soft palate defect. The adaptation of the flexible bulb of the appliance with the soft palate was excellent. Evaluation with nasoendoscopy revealed the synchronized movement of the bulb of the appliance with the soft palate during swallowing. Soft extension of the feeding plate eliminated the risk of irritation, and the baby accepted the appliance easily.

Effect of colored beverages on the color stability of feldspathic porcelain subjected to various surface treatments

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of porcelain treatment techniques on the color change of feldspathic porcelain before and after exposure to distilled water, coffee, red wine, and cola and examine the surface texture of the porcelain with field-emission SEM.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Test specimens were prepared in the form of discs 15 mm in diameter by 2-mm thick and divided into four groups: Naturalglaze, dual-ion exchange, overglaze and polishing. The specimens were prepared according to their group and stored in red wine, coffee, and cola. After removal, the specimens were dipped in distilled water. Color measurements were made with a spectrophotometer, and color differences were determined using the CIE-LAB system. Statistical analysis was made with SPSS 13.5.

RESULTS

Immersion time and types of surface treatment were significant factors for color stability (P < .01).

A preoperative appliance for a newborn with cleft palate

Cleft palate is a commonly observed congenital maxillofacial defect. One of the most important problems with clefts is the interference with feeding. An affected infant cannot produce negative pressure in the oral cavity and therefore cannot move the bolus backward to the pharynx. To obtain better nutritional intake prior to surgical correction, a palatal lift obturator is recommended. In this clinical report, a modified technique of obturator fabrication is presented. The new method uses a piece of tulle, a flexible and durable material that is frequently used in theater attire. With the help of this material, the bulb part is connected to the plate as a labile piece, and this connection acts like a natural velopharyngeal extension. Additionally, because of the softer property of the silicone elastomer, the posterior pharyngeal wall is less irritated.

Effect of accelerated aging on the color stability of feldspathic ceramic treated with various surface treatments

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of the accelerated aging process on the color stability of feldspathic ceramic treated with dual ion exchange, overglaze, polishing, and autoglaze surface treatments.

METHOD AND MATERIALS

A total of 40 disks (15 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick) of feldspathic ceramic were made in an A2 shade according to the manufacturer's recommendations. The samples were randomly divided into 4 groups: dual ion exchange, overglaze, polishing, and autoglaze. The samples were subjected to conditions in an accelerated aging machine for 150 and 300 hours. Differences in color before and after accelerated aging were calculated using spectrophotometric analyses. Overall color difference (DeltaE) was determined using the CIE L*a*b* system for measuring small color differences. Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the surface texture of samples. Color difference data were evaluated statistically by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests, with a significance level of .05.

RESULTS

After 150 and 300 hours of accelerated aging, color changes of the 4 surface treatment groups ranged between 0.35 and 1.31 DeltaE units. All DeltaE values were below a quantitative level that would be considered clinically acceptable. Autoglazed samples were the most color stable, followed by ion exchanged, overglazed, and polished test samples.

CONCLUSIONS

All groups demonstrated color stability below a quantitative level that would be considered clinically acceptable, but long-term clinical studies are necessary to verify these findings.

Facial defects restored with extraoral implant-supported prostheses

A facial defect results in cosmetic, functional, and psychologic problems and acts as a difficult and challenging procedure for the maxillofacial surgeon and the prosthodontist. Retention of a facial prosthesis is an important key in the patient's satisfaction and acceptance. The introduction of extraoral implant applications have been accepted as an advanced retention method. The purpose of this article is to report the results from our clinical experience with patients wearing facial prostheses anchored to extraoral ITI implants (Straumann, AG, Basel, Switzerland).

Tubule-occluding effect of desensitizing laser treatment on prepared dentin surfaces: an environmental SEM study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this in vitro study was to demonstrate the dentinal tubule-occluding effect of desensitizing laser treatment on dentin surfaces using environmental scanning electron microscopy (E-SEM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ground dentin surfaces were divided into 5 areas. Each area received a different mode of laser irradiation (low potency [LP] versus high potency [HP] and short time [ST] versus long time [LT]). Lased dentin surfaces were viewed and graded under E-SEM at x5000 magnification.

RESULTS

The tubule closure rates of 4 different irradiation modes were as follows: LP/LT (74%) > HP/ST (70%) > LP/ST (51%) > HP/LT (46%) > control (6%).

CONCLUSION

It was demonstrated that desensitizing laser application was an efficient treatment option for the occlusion of dentinal tubule apertures.

In vitro IL-1beta release from gingival fibroblasts in response to pure metals, dental alloys and ceramic

Little information is available on the immunological basis for side-effects of dental materials. The objective of this study is to evaluate effects of pure metals, dental alloys and ceramic on cell viability and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) release in three-dimensional human gingival fibroblast cultures as an indicator of their biological performance in gingival tissues. The gingival fibroblast cultures were exposed to test specimens fabricated from nickel, iron, molybdenum, copper, indium, gold, Ni-Cr-Mo alloy (Remanium CS), Au-Pt-In alloy (Pontostar) and a dental ceramic (In-ceram). Cell viability was determined by the MTT method 24 and 48 h after exposure. Assays for IL-1beta were carried out by ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed applying the non-parametric Mann-Whitney pairwise test. Dental ceramic and gold did not influence cell viability after 24 and 48 h. Cell viability was determined after 24 and 48 h to nickel (79-77%), iron (92-90%), molybdenum (86-83%), copper (48-36%), indium (90-90%), Remanium CS (83-80%), Pontostar (94-91%) compared with control cultures. Dental ceramic, Pontostar and gold had no significant influence on IL-1beta secretion. The highest amounts of IL-1beta (10-fold) levels were determined in cell cultures exposed to copper. Indium, molybdenum and iron induced twofold IL-1beta levels compared with untreated control cultures. These results support that some metals may alter immune responses and thereby contribute to a variety of dental pathological conditions and three-dimensional cell culture models for gingival fibroblasts appear to be suitable for in vitro studies.

The effects of sevoflurane, isoflurane and desflurane on QT interval of the ECG

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To determine if there is any significant difference between the effects of desflurane, isoflurane and sevoflurane on the QT interval, QT dispersion, heart rate corrected QT interval and QTc dispersion of the electrocardiogram.

METHODS

The study was conducted in a prospective, double blind and randomized manner in a teaching hospital. Ninety ASA I patients, aged 16-50 yr, undergoing general anaesthesia for noncardiac surgery were studied.

RESULTS

There was no significant change in QT intervals during the study in any group (P > 0.05). QT dispersion in the sevoflurane group 49+/-14 ms vs. 37+/-10 ms; in the desflurane group 55+/-16 and 62+/-21 ms vs. 35+/-14 ms and in the isoflurane group 54+/-26 and 59+/-24 ms vs. 42+/-19 ms were significantly increased at 3 and 10 min after 1 MAC of steady end-tidal anaesthetic concentration compared with baseline values (P < 0.05). QTc values in the sevoflurane group were 444+/-24 and 435+/-2 1ms vs. 413+/-19 ms (P < 0.05), in the isoflurane group were 450+/-26 and 455+/-34 ms vs. 416+/-34 ms (P < 0.05), in the desflurane group were 450+/-26 and 455+/-34 ms vs. 416+/-34 ms (P < 0.05) at 3 and 10 min after reaching 1 MAC of anaesthetic concentration and significantly increased compared with baseline values. QTc dispersion increased significantly with sevoflurane 62+/-14 ms vs. 45+/-16 ms (P < 0.05); isoflurane 70+/-36 ms at 3 min and 75+/-36 ms at 10 min after reaching 1 MAC of anaesthetic concentration vs. 50+/-24 ms (P < 0.05); desflurane 67+/-25 ms at 3 min and 74+/-27 ms at 10 min after 1 MAC concentration vs. 41+/-22 ms (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Sevoflurane, isoflurane and desflurane all prolonged QTd, QTc and QTcd but there were no significant intergroup differences.