THE EFFECT OF GENERAL ANAESTHETICS ON THE RESPONSE TO TETANIC STIMULUS IN MAN

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Abstract
The effects of cyclopropane, diethyl ether, methoxyflurane and Ethrane anaesthesia on the response of the adductor pollicis muscle to tetanic stimulus were examined in eleven healthy patients undergoing elective surgery. During a control period of nitrous oxide anaesthesia, tetanus was well maintained when elicited by a stimulus frequency of 30 and 300 Hz. Following inhalation of a more potent agent, tetanus remained well maintained at 30 Hz, but fade was consistently observed during a stimulus of 300 Hz. These findings indicate that inhalational anaesthetic agents alter neuromuscular function, and that this should be taken into consideration when evaluating a neuromuscular block produced by tubocurarine.

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