Effects of Suxamethonium on CO2‐Production

Eighteen patients undergoing alloplastic surgery of the hip were divided into three groups, each consisting of six patients. All operations were performed under endotracheal intubation using halothane N2O-O2 anaesthesia. After a steady state as to CO2-production had been obtained, suxamethonium 1 mg kg-1 was given intravenously to the patients in Group I. A maximum rise in CO2-production of 14.8% (range: 12.9–16.8) was observed after 5 min. In Group II, patients were pretreated with pancuronium 0.01 mg kg-1: no increase in CO2-production was observed. The third group received a continuous infusion of suxamethonium. In this group there was an increase in CO2-production of 17.6% (range: 6.7–22.0) 5 min after start of infusion. The CO2-production then fell to the preinfusion level over the next 10 min.