Hemodynamic Effects of Diethyl Ether in Man

The Anaesthetic Ethers

“…Gabbard and his co-workers (1952) found that in twelve patients premedicated with atropine and maintained at plane 4 of stage III of diethyl ether anaesthesia, alveolar Ventilation was almost invariably greater than 5 l./min, respiratory rate was increased, Pco2 was reduced, and pH was high. Kubota, Schweizer and Vandam (1962) in a study often patients under diethyl ether anaesthesia found that all patients had a reduced PcO2, the mean value being 31 mm Hg. Jones and his colleagues (1962) in a similar study of thirteen patients, found that end-expired PcO2 was usually reduced; the average blood ether concentration at which elevated Pcos levels were observed (148 mg/100 ml) was significantly greater than that at which reductions in Pc02 occurred (116 mg/100 ml).…”