British Journal of Anaesthesia, 1984, Vol. 56, No. 6 587-597
© 1984 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia
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GENERAL ANAESTHESIA FOR CAESAREAN SECTION IN SEVERE PRE-ECLAMPSIA
Comparison of the renal and hepatic effects of enflurane and halothane
Department of Anaesthetics, Welsh National School of Medicine Cardiff, Wales
In a randomized study of patients undergoing Caesarean section, either enflurane (mean 0.24 MAC-h) or halothane (mean 0.23 MAC-h) and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen were administered to women (n = 12) with severe pre-eclampsia-eclampsia and to 16 healthy pregnant patients with normal renal and hepatic function. No evidence of nephrotoxicity was found in any pre-eclamptic or normal patient. Metabolism of enflurane resulted in plasma inorganic fluoride concentrations (max 15 µmol litre1) which were well below the toxic value. Postoperative liver function tests showed no important changes from preoperative values, although reductive metabolites of halothane were not measured. In patients with severe pre-eclampsia there appears no contraindication to enflurane or, probably, halothane as volatile supplements during general anaesthesia.
* Present address: Department of Anaesthetics, Queen Victoria Hospital, Rose Park, Adelaide, Australia