EFFECTS OF BARBITURATE ANESTHESIA (EVIPAL AND PENTOTHAL SODIUM) UPON THE INTEGRATION OF RESPIRATORY CONTROL MECHANISMS. A STUDY DIRECTED TOWARD IMPROVEMENT OF METHODS FOR THE PRECLINICAL EVALUATION OF ANESTHETIC AGENTS

Abstract

-The anesthetist is severely handicapped when employing evipal or pentothal because of the variability of response to these agents with variability of the content of the blood gases and other factors discussed. The inability of the anesthetist to determine the status of the respiratory control (that is, whether CO2 acting on the respiratory center, as during normal conditions or light anesthesia, or whether low O2 stimulating the peripheral chemoreceptors, as during deeper anesthesia, is chiefly responsible for the respiratory activity) with the simple means at his disposal seriously handicaps his use of these agents. Generalizations are made as to appropriate factors to study in evaluating new anesthetic agents.