Changes in intragastric pressure following the administration of suxamethonium. Preliminary report.

SUMMARY In order to test the possibility that the muscular twutching seen after suxamethonium might produce changes in intragastric pressure, the intragastric pressure was recorded in ten patients during induction of anaesthesia with thiopentone and suxamethonium. The pressure exerted upon an intragastric rubber ballon slightly distended with water was recorded by means of a heart catherization catheter, a transducer, an amplifier and a writer. Of four patients showing pronounced fascicu-lations, three exhibited an increase of intragastric pressure to more than 20 cm H2O at this time. It is concluded that suxamethonium may be a factor in the production of regurgitation during induction of anaesthesia which is not necessarily overcome by the head-up induction technique for emergency intubation.