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Effects of halothane on children's electroretinograms
S Wongpichedchai1, R M Hansen, B Koka
1Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
Insights
Anesthesia with halothane does not affect electroretinographic (ERG) responses in children. This means changes in ERG test results are unlikely due to halothane when using current clinical methods.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Anesthesia is sometimes required for pediatric electroretinography (ERG).
- Halothane is a common anesthetic for children, but its effect on modern ERG protocols is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if halothane anesthesia impacts ERG parameters in children under contemporary clinical protocols.
Main Methods:
- Recorded scotopic and photopic ERG responses in children while awake and under halothane anesthesia.
Main Results:
- Halothane did not alter scotopic b-wave parameters (amplitude, sensitivity, implicit time).
- Scotopic a-wave parameters and photopic responses to red flashes and 30 Hz white light were unaffected.
- Oscillatory potential wavelets showed no significant changes in amplitude or implicit time.
Conclusions:
- Departures from normal ERG values in a laboratory setting are unlikely to be caused by halothane.
- Halothane can be considered safe for pediatric ERG testing using the described protocols.
Background:
At times, anesthesia is necessary to test children's electroretinographic (ERG) responses. Halothane, an anesthetic commonly used for pediatric patients, affects some aspects of ERG responses, but it is unknown if halothane affects ERG parameters evaluated by contemporary clinical protocols.
Methods:
Scotopic and photopic ERG responses were recorded from children when awake and then under halothane.
Results:
Halothane has no effect on scotopic b-wave stimulus/response parameters, including amplitude, sensitivity, and implicit time. Scotopic a-wave amplitudes, implicit times, model parameters, and ratio of a- to b-wave amplitudes are unaffected by halothane. The amplitudes and implicit times of photopic responses to red flashes and 30 Hz flickering white light are not altered by halothane. Halothane causes no significant change in amplitudes and implicit times of the oscillatory potential wavelets.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that significant departures of ERG responses (studied with the protocol described herein) from a laboratory's normal values cannot be attributed to halothane.