Cimethidine Pre‐Anesthetic

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Abstract
Patients [20] undergoing cesarean section received cimetidine 400 mg i.m. as pre-anesthetic approximately 70 min prior to gastric aspiration. The average pH was 5.05, as against 2.97 in the control group (P < 0.01). No significant reduction in the aspirated volumes was observed. In the cimetidine group the proportion of patients at risk of developing Mendelson''s syndrome (pH < 2.5 and volume > 25 ml) was significantly reduced, namely 5% as against 42% in the control group (P = 0.014). No perinatal effects attributable to cimetidine were observed in the infants. Cimetidine is a safe and useful preanesthetic for patients undergoing cesarean section, irrespective of indication and, consequently, much to be prefered to oral antacids.