Electroretinogram as a possible monitor of anesthetic depth.

The effects of volatile anesthetics, i.e., methoxyflurane, halothane and enflurane, on the electroretinogram (ERG) were studied in 15 albino rabbits. The ERG was analyzed in terms of the a-wave, and the first oscillatory component (01) in the b-wave. The 01 peak latency showed a significant dose-related prolongation when anesthetic end-tidal concentrations were in excess of 0.8 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC). One MAC, a measure of anesthetic potency, is the end-tidal concentration of an anesthetic at 1 atmosphere that induces immobility in 50% of animals against a noxious stimulus. The amplitudes of the a-wave and the 01 decreased in dose-dependent manners, but their changes were less striking than those of the 01 latency. The peak latency of the a-wave remained unchanged. We conclude that the 01 peak latency is a useful monitor of the depth of inhalational anesthesia.