Cardiovascular collapse associated with nitrous oxide anaesthetic: a case report

This is a case report of a one year old infant weighing 6.7 kilograms with a preoperative diagnosis of partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage whose anaesthetic was complicated by cardiovascular collapse following addition of nitrous oxide to oxygen administered to the patient using a T-piece breathing circuit. The cardiovascular pathopharmacology of all the drugs administered to the patient before the event as well as that of nitrous oxide is discussed in detail. The drugs discussed are atropine 0.1 mg (0.01 mg . kg-1), glycopyrrolate 0.07 mg (0.01 mg . kg-1), morphine 0.9 mg (0.14 mg . kg-1) methylprednisone sodium succinate 165 mg (23.5 mg . kg-1) sodium thiopentone 40 mg (5.7 mg . kg-1), metocurine 3.4 mg (0.4 mg . kg-1).