Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 6, 243-250, Copyright © 1959 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

The Effect of Perphenazine on Epinephrine-induced Cardiac Arrhythmias in Dogs: I, Anaesthesia with Fluothane, and Fluothane-Ether Azeotrope

¹ Department of Anaesthesia, University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine and the Anaesthesia Laboratory, Medical Research Building, Saskatoon, Canada
² Medical Student Research Assistant from the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine

Thirty acute standard experiments were carried out on twenty dogs during anaesthesia with 0.5 per cent Fluothane and 1 per cent Fluothane-ether azeotrope with N₂O:O₂ (5:2) to determine whether perphenazine would prevent serious or fatal ventricular arrhythmias, provoked by a lethal dose of l'epinephrine, after approximately 25 min. of anaesthesia. Pulmonary ventilation was controlled mechanically in a non-rebreathing system during each experiment to assure that respiratory acidosis or hypoxia would not be a factor in assessing the validity of the results, to assure that the concentration set on the Fluotec vaporizer would be delivered effectively to the dog's lungs and to assure a stable blood level of the anaesthetic agents. It was found that l'epinephrine was far more likely to cause death with 0.5 per cent Fluothane than with 1 per cent Fluothane-ether azeotrope. Perphenazine was effective in preventing death with Fluothane, and in reducing the duration and severity of arrhythmias with both Fluothane and the Fluothane-ether azeotrope.

Note:

Supported in part by a grant-in-aid from Schering Corporation, Montreal, Canada