“…The severity of disturbances in gas ex change based on general hypoventilation shows considerable in dividual differences according to th e n ature of th e operation and its procedure. The anaesthetics of the b a rb itu ra te series in particu lar exert a depressing influence on ven tilation which, in the case of indiscrim inate application, can lead to considerable alveolar hypo v en tilation w ith decreased oxygen pressures and increased carbon dioxide pressure [33,34].A n um ber of investigators have also m entioned hypoxem ia following thoracic an d in tracard iac surgery; anom alies of diffusion, pulm onary sh u n t an d disturbances in gas d istrib u tio n have been m entioned as possible causes [7,8,9,15,23,26,29,39,42].The findings are not confined to in trath o ra cic operations. Sim ilar com plications occur following surgery of the extrem ities and abdom inal operations [18,23,39,45].…”