Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 5, 262-273, Copyright © 1958 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

Sodium Methitural: A Clinical Study

¹ Department of Anaesthesia, University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine and University Hospital, Saskatoon, Sask
² Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

The properties of methitural with and without premedication have been compared in a series of patients in physical status I and II and of comparable age, height and weight, undergoing minor gynaecological procedures.

Sodium thiopental was approximately twice as potent as sodium methitural, and for comparable depth and duration of anaesthesia, the waking period after methitural was the same as that following thiopental.

The incidence of cough and hiccough was greater under methitural anaesthesia. Hiccoughs, when they occurred, tended to persist throughout the procedure and were also seen in the emergence period. Gross movements were seen only with methitural. Patients were more widely awake and less disorientated after methitural anaesthesia, but showed a higher incidence of nausea and vomiting. The apnoea following an induction dose of methitural was on the average of shorter duration than that following sodium thiopental and its incidence was lower. Muscle relaxation for such procedures as bimanual pelvic examination was more often satisfactory with methitural anaesthesia.

Preoperative medication reduced the amount of methitural required to maintain anaesthesia and decreased the incidence of side-effects.

Note:

Presented at the Meeting of the Canadian Anaesthetists' Society, Western Division, Calgary, March 13–15, 1958.