Clinical anaesthesia with isoflurane. A review of the multicentre study.

Following its approval for use in man, an unblinded, unrandomized epidemiological study of isoflurane anaesthesia was undertaken in the United States and Canada. The haemodynamic and reflex behaviour of 6798 patients were compared with their demographic characteristics and the anaesthetic drugs used. The decrease in arterial pressure and the increase in heart rate during isoflurane anaesthesia were confirmed. Intraoperative arrhythmias were most often associated with a history of similar arrhythmia before operation, as well as the occurrence of intraoperative hypertension. Airway reflexes were the predominant form of reflex activity identified, with coughing being the most frequently observed reflex. Serious complications were infrequent, and were unrelated to the use of isoflurane as the anaesthetic agent. The safety and efficacy of isoflurane anaesthesia in man was confirmed.