Serendipity: Being in the Right Place at the Right Time

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• The minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) was developed in 1964 as a standard measure for comparing inhaled anesthetic potency.
• MAC enables anesthesiologists to compare anesthetic drugs at equivalent depths of anesthesia.
• This allows for informed clinical decisions, such as selecting less hemodynamically depressant agents for patients with compromised cardiac function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of nitrous oxide and narcotic premedication on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) required for anesthesia.
• To document and analyze a case of malignant hyperthermia during anesthesia, including its metabolic and respiratory acidemia.

Main Methods:

• Determining the MAC of inhaled anesthetics to compare their equipotency.
• Observing and measuring patient responses during anesthetic administration.
• Utilizing the Severinghaus blood gas device to measure acidemia during a malignant hyperthermia event.

Main Results:

• The concept of MAC was established as a method for comparing anesthetic potency.
• A rare side effect of volatile anesthetics, malignant hyperthermia, was observed.
• Metabolic and respiratory acidemia associated with malignant hyperthermia were measured for the first time.

Conclusions:

• MAC provides a valuable tool for comparing inhaled anesthetics and guiding clinical anesthetic choices.
• Malignant hyperthermia is a potential risk associated with volatile anesthetics, necessitating vigilance.
• The Severinghaus blood gas device proved crucial in characterizing the physiological disturbances of malignant hyperthermia.