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.