MONITORING OF IRRIGATING FLUID ABSORPTION DURING TRANSURETHRAL PROSTATECTOMY : A STUDY IN ANAESTHETISED PATIENTS USING A 1 % ETHANOL TAG SOLUTION

Summary A simple, reliable method to detect absorption of irrigating fluid during transurethral prostatectomy is to tag irrigating fluids with 1% ethanol and monitor expired breath ethanol concentrations. This method correlated well (n = 0.79) with other existing methods of absorption monitoring in 20 anaesthetised patients. Ethanol (1%) tagging does not alter the optical quality of the irrigating fluid and is harmless to the patient. The technique is non-invasive, repeatable, cheap and gives instant results. It can be used in anaesthetised or awake patients and can detect absorption of as little as 100–150 ml in any 10-minute period.