A CLINICAL COMPARISON OF THE INCIDENCE AND DURATION OF APNOEA FOLLOWING METHOHEXITONE AND THIOPENTONE

Abstract

The respiratory movements of 132 out-patients premedicated with atropine were observed during induction of anaesthesia using methohexitone 1.57 mg/kg in half and thiopentone 4.71 mg/kg in the other half. The concentration, dose and rate of administration was selected on the basis that methohexitone is approximately three times as potent as thiopentone. There was no difference between the two drugs in the incidence and mean duration of apnoea. Thiopentone proved to be slightly more consistent in its effect than methohexitone as indicated by a smaller standard deviation from the mean duration of apnoea.