Masui. The Japanese journal of anesthesiology
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We experienced 5 cases of intraoperative anoxic spell in 48 patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). One of 5 cases had tetralogy with pulmonary atresia (Type A), and the others had tetralogy alone (Type D). The patient of type A who had anoxic spells during preoperative period had been on chronic propranolol therapy. ⋯ One patient was anesthetized with fentanyl-diazepam-O2, and the others were anesthetized with morphine-diazepam-O2. We used mainly alpha-adrenergic drugs and sodium bicarbonate for the therapy of intraoperative anoxic spells. Concerning the intraoperative anoxic spell, we have to be aware in the management of the patients with TOF, whether the patient had anoxic spells during preoperative period or not.
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Apnea and desaturation following nitrous oxide inhalation were studied in seven adult volunteers breathing spontaneously. Arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2), end-tidal CO2 concentration in the nasal cavity and respiratory patterns were measured in volunteers breathing air after N2O (50% or 67%) + O2. SpO2 was measured with Biox 3700 and end-tidal CO2 concentration was measured with Normocap, and respiratory patterns were recorded with RESPIGRAPH. ⋯ When the apnea occurred, the airway seemed to be open and end-tidal CO2 concentration values were lower than those before N2O inhalation. The authors considered that this kind of apnea was due to several factors, such as hypocapnia caused by hyperventilation during N2O anesthesia, dilution of alveolar O2 and CO2 during N2O excretion, loss of consciousness by N2O, and depression of CO2 ventilatory response by N2O. Inhalation of O2 at high concentrations for five minutes could improve the hypocapnia and prevent the apnea.