THE EFFECT OF ETHER ANESTHESIA ON THE VOLUME OF PLASMA AND EXTRACELLULAR FLUID

Abstract

The effect of ether anesthesia on the plasma vol. of dogs was measured with the blue dye T-1824 and spectrophotometric analysis of serum samples. In 23 expts. one hr. of anesthesia caused an avg. decrease in plasma vol. of 11.0%. When calculated from the rise in conc. of the serum proteins, the fluid loss avg. 9.3%. The hematocrit rise was almost double that which could be accounted for by the plasma vol. reduction. This discrepancy was less pronounced after splenectomy. Within 4 hrs. after the removal of ether, the plasma vol. returned to the preanesthetic level and, in some cases, it rose well above that level. The decrease of plasma vol. was independent of changes in body temp. As indicated by measurements of the fluid available for the soln. of Na thiocyanate, there was no consistent change in the vol. of extracellular fluid.