title: Respiratory depression during enflurane anaesthesia in children: influence of the nitrous oxide concentration.
abstract: The author studied the rate of induction and recovery, occurrence of airway problems and the degree of respiratory depression in 30 children breathing spontaneously during inhalational induction for intubation. Two equi-anaesthetic gas mixtures were compared, 5.0% enflurane in 50% N2O (group E50) and 3.2% enflurane in 70% N2O (group E70). Induction time and time for 'partial recovery' were significantly shorter in group E70 than in group E50 (P less than 0.05). Airway problems during the excitational stage and during intubation were less common in group E70 than in group E50 (P less than 0.05). Also respiratory depression, as measured by end-tidal CO2 tension and by the occurrence of apnoea, was significantly less pronounced in group E70 than in group E50. It was concluded that 3.2% enflurane-N2O/O2 (70/30) was quite acceptable for mask induction for intubation in spontaneously breathing children, while 5.0% enflurane-N2O/O2 (50/50) caused a marked respiratory depression with delayed induction and offered less suitable conditions for intubation.
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004737:Enflurane / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010100:Oxygen; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D004737:Enflurane; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010100:Oxygen