title: Halothane anesthesia and serum electrolytes.
abstract: The disparate observations on the effect of halothane anesthesia on the serum electrolyte levels in humans prompted us to carry out this work. In this study the levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride and inorganic phosphorus were determined in serum of 25 male and 15 female patients, with an age range of 15 to 40 years, who had various pathologies requiring surgery and who were given halothane anesthesia. Significant difference were detected in the concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium and inorganic phosphorus between presurgical and post-anesthesia induction samples. The truly striking finding in the present study was the significant increase in serum inorganic phosphorus in the intra-operative period. It is suspected that this increase is due to a defect in phosphorylating mechanisms which leads to a rapid hydrolysis of stored and preformed ATP.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Alarcón
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reinosa
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Medina de Caraballo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000097:blood*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D004573:Electrolytes; D006221:Halothane