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The results are presented of a clinical trial of a new anesthetic agent, ketamine, carried out at the Royal Childreds Hospital, Melbourne. I t was administered intravenously OT intramuscularly or by both routes for 401 procedures on 285 children. Ketamine is a cyclohexylamine belonging to the same drug group as phencyclidine and is described (IS a dissociative anesthetic. The duration of its action is related to the dose employed. I t hns been used for procedures lasting up to one hour, usually in doses not exceeding 10 mg/kg. I t has a wide range of application, but offers special advantages where the maintenance o f the airway without an endotracheal tube is desirable, and where it is useful to shorten the preoperative and postoperative eriod of starvation in order to maintain the nutritional T h e cardiovascular system is stirraarlated rather than depressed. T h e laryngeal reflexes are well maintained. Respiratory complications, which are unusual, are more common in infants and are usually associated with pneumoencephalography or the concurrent use of halothane. Vomiting is uncommon and usually occurs after the patient is fully conscious. I t is probable that ketamine, which has already been widely investigated, zw. 11 achieve an important place in anesthesia.intake in patients requiring repeate B anesthesia, such as those sufering f r o m severe burns.

Rolipram is an antidepressant with a novel mechanism of action: enhanced noradrenaline (first messenger) synthesis and release, and inhibition of cAMP (second messenger) breakdown. This study was aimed at objectively assessing potential anticholinergic effects of rolipram in healthy elderly volunteers by measurement of saliva production and pupil size. Eight male volunteers between 67 and 77 years of age first received in a randomized manner either a single dose of 50 mg amitriptyline or a placebo control. After a minimum washout period of seven days, they then received a multiple dosing regimen of a) 0.75 mg and b) 1.5 mg rolipram given every eight hours over a 5-day period with a two day washout between a) and b). Whereas no changes at all in pupil size could be observed, amitripyline significantly reduced salivary flow. Rolipram however had no effect on saliva production after either single or repeated administration of 0.75 or 1.5 mg. The results are discussed in connection with pharmacokinetic parameters obtained in the study.

We studied the interchangeability of two blood gas syringes (lohns, Hardie Health Care Products Pty Ltd and Marksman, Martell Medical Products Inc) for the collection of blood for the analysis of peo 2 , po 2 , pH, sodium, potassium and glucose in 71 intensive care unit patients. The interchangeability of these two syringes with a specially designed syringe (Radiometer, Radiometer A IS) for the collection of blood for the analysis of ionized calcium was also studied. Analysis of pH, sodium, potassium and glucose showed no clinically significant differences between samples collected with lohns and Marksman syringes. However, differences in pe02 and p0 2 in samples collected with these syringes may be clinically significant if the p0 2 is less than lOO mmHg. There were no clinically significant differences in ionized calcium levels in blood samples collected with lohns, Marksman and Radiometer syringes. We conclude that lohns and Marksman syringes are interchangeable for the collection of blood for the analysis of peo 2 , po 2 , pH, sodium, potassium and glucose and they are also interchangeable with Radiometer syringes for the collection of blood for ionized calcium analysis.

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