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The influence of moderate hypothermia induced by surface cooling was studied on haemodynamic variables and whole-body oxygen consumption in a 43-yr-old female undergoing clipping of multiple cerebral aneurysms. Decreasing oesophageal temperature to 32 degrees C lowered the whole-body oxygen consumption by about 40%. The decrease in oxygen consumption was matched by a proportional decrease in cardiac output. During the rewarming phase, there was a progressive increase in oxygen consumption, which was matched by a proportional increase in cardiac output. This resulted in a constant oxygen extraction ratio, as evidenced by oxyhaemoglobin saturation which remained constant at different body temperatures. While the temperature-corrected PVO2 decreased progressively with cooling, the temperature-uncorrected PVO2 remained constant at all body temperatures. Thus the use of temperature-uncorrected PO2 during hypothermia may simplify clinical interpretation because of our familiarity with normothermic PO2 values and the normothermic oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve.

Anaesthesia circuits are classified and discussed according to their functional characteristics.

The effects of the systemic and of the i.v. regional administration of suxamethonium were investigated in 23 patients with traumatic nerve injury. Following the systemic administration of suxamethonium 100 mg, normally innervated muscles showed muscle fasciculations initially, followed by muscular relaxation. On the other hand, denervated muscles did not fasciculate and, in 21 patients, manifested suxamethonium-induced contractures. In the other two patients no response was observed. In 10 of the patients, the i.v. regional administration of suxamethonium 5 mg was followed by a contracture of the denervated muscle which was maintained until the tourniquet was deflated. No systemic reaction to suxamethonium, other than mild ptosis, followed the release of the tourniquet.

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