[Intravenous anesthesia with inhalation anesthetics].

The authors describe intravenous anaesthesia with diethyl ether that has been in use for over 70 years as the only clinically useful form of anaesthesia with intravenously applied volatile anaesthetics. Intravenous ether anaesthesia, which had been introduced in 1909 by Burkhardt, was rarely but regularly used in Europe and the United States between 1910 and 1930. In the course of development of new intravenous anaesthetics such as hexobarbital and thiopental, which were easier to handle, intravenous ether narcosis was used only sporadically after 1930. The method, however, has certain "pros", such as: rapid and excitation-free introduction, good manageability, only mild postnarcotic disturbances and volume substitution by the carrier solution. The "cons" are a quite considerable incidence of venous irritations and thromboses, complicated and costly equipment and preparation of the solution as well as cardiovascular stress in case of cardiac insufficiency patients. Simulation confirmed the statements from literature in respect of the characteristic features concerning induction and manageability.