[Blood pressures in gestosis patients under general anaesthesia following hypotensive treatment (author's transl)]

A retrospective evaluation was made of the blood pressures of 131 patients with hypertensive late gestosis who had undergone caesarean section for maternal or foetal indications, between 1971 and 1977. Rauwolfia preparations should be avoided in both long-term and acute hypotensive treatment of late gestosis patients not only for their unfavourable impact upon circulation at large, but also for their cumulative effects in terms of drastic depression of blood pressure in case of anaesthesia necessary for whatever reason. Acute hypotensive-sedative treatment should be discontinued and resumed, only if necessary, not until anaesthesia is over following surgical termination of pregnancy. Imminent eclamptic fit would be the only exception acceptable. Anaesthesia should be induced, using the base anesthetic propanidid which worked extremely well in terms of circulatory stabilisation. It is obviously superior to barbiturates in that particular respect.