USE OF A CONTINUOUS INFUSION OF ALTHESIN IN NEUROANAESTHESIA

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Abstract
Ten patients with small supratentorial tumors were studied during craniotomy. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured in the contralateral hemisphere by a modification of the Kety and Schmidt technique using 133Xe i.v. With an Althesin infusion rate of 0.2 ml/kg per h, CBF was 24.4 .+-. 5.4 ml/min per 100 g and CMRO2 [cerebral metabolic rate of O2) 1.87 .+-. 0.44 ml/min per 100 g at PaCO2 [partial pressure of CO2] 4.1 .+-. 0.7 kPa (mean .+-. SD). During constant infusion rates of Althesin, steady values of CMRO2 were obtained, while an increase in infusion rate of 150% was associated with an increase in plasma alphaxalone concentration, a decrease in CMRO2 and a tendency of further EEG suppression. Great inter- and intraindividual variations were present and correlations between CMRO2, EEG activity and plasma alphaxalone concentration were weak.