[The influence of electro-stimulation anaesthesia on the intraocular pressure (author's transl)]

The effect of electrostimulation anaesthesia was studied in 23 patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured 30 minutes after premedication (I), immediately after intubation (II), after the start of stimulation and relaxation (III) and after the establishment of full relaxation and achievement of full stimulation (IV). After intubation IOP increased from 16.4 +/- 3.3 mm Hg to 19.4 +/- 5.6 mm Hg (p less than 0.05), but decreased at reading IV statistically significantly compared with reading I to 12.7 +/- 2.8 mm Hg. To investigate the effect of electrostimulation alone on IOP, we performed tonometry on 10 control persons, in whom we observed a rise in IOP which can be attributed to current induced contractions of the extraocular muscles. The results demonstrate that there is a direct relation between electrostimulation and extraocular muscles, and we find it essential to relax the patients sufficiently to avoid hazards of IOP elevation.