A COMPARISON OF POSTOPERATIVE ACID-BASE EQUILIBRIUM AND RESPIRATORY ADEQUACY AFTER TWO TYPES OF NEUROLEPTANALGESIA

Two different types of neuroleptanalgesia supplemented withnitrous oxide and oxygen, NLA I (haloperidol and phenoperidine)and NLA II (dehydrobenzperidol and fentanyl), were given totwenty-seven and thirty-six patients, respectively. The comparisonof respiratory adequacy shows that, after NLA I, there was respiratoryacidosis and slight metabolic acidosis, most prominent 30 minutesafter anaesthesia with a tendency to return to normal duringthe three-hour follow-up period. With NLA II there were no signsof respiratory depression. Base excess and pH also remainedwell within the physiological range.