Korean J Anesthesiol.  1968 Jan;1(1):10-18.

Clinical Investigation of Methoxyflurane: 100 Cases

• Kwak IY
• Rhee SS

Abstract

Methoxyflurane, a new anesthetic agent, was administered to one hundred surgical patients. The following are the results of clinical observation and liver function tests. (1) Methoxyflurane is easily administered with a relatively simple vaporizer such as Heidbrink No.8 ether vaporizer in semi-closed system. (2) Blood pressure, pulse rate and cardiac rhythm are remarkably stable if deep anesthesia is avoided. (3) Excellent muscle relaxation is produced at intermediate levels of anesthesia without producing apnea. To avoid overdose it is recommended, however, to use muscle relaxants for operations which require highest degree of muscle relaxation such as upper abdominal procedures. (4) Assisted respirstion is advocated since methoxyflurane tends to depress respiration. (5) Depth of anesthesia is easily controlled with growing experience so that overdose can be avoided. (6) Analgesia extends into the recovery phase, minimizing the need for narcotics in the immediate postoperative period. (7) lnduction of and recovery from anesthesia is relatively prolonged. However, nausea, vomiting or delirium is less frequent than after ether anesthesia. (8) Hepatotoxicity, as determined by bromsulphalein, retention is of the same magnitude as that determined for diethyl ether.

MeSH Terms

Analgesia
Anesthesia
Apnea
Blood Pressure
Delirium
Ether
Heart Rate
Humans
Liver Function Tests
Methoxyflurane*
Muscle Relaxation
Narcotics
Nausea
Nebulizers and Vaporizers
Postoperative Period
Respiration
Sulfobromophthalein
Vomiting
Ether
Methoxyflurane
Narcotics
Sulfobromophthalein