Potency of mixtures of general anaesthetic agents
Clarke, R.F.; Daniels, S.; Harrison, C.B.; Jordan, M.J.; Paton, W.D.; Smith, E.B.; Smith, R.A.
British Journal of Anaesthesia 50(10): 979-983
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0007-0912 PMID: 708551 Document Number: 129523
The anesthetic potencies of binary mixtures of the gases Ar, N2O and SF6 were measured using mice. The mixtures SF6-N2O and N2O-Ar showed additive behavior, whereas the constituents of the mixture S6-Ar were non-additive, having a smaller total potency than expected. Further experiments on this mixture with Italian Great Newts and on the CF4 mixtures CF4-Ar and CF4-SF6 with mice suggested that the anomalous potencies may arise from specific pulmonary effects associated with the breathing of SF6 accompanied by a high pressure of some other gas.