Cardiorespiratory effects of anaesthesia with morphine or fentanyl in chronic renal failure and cerebral toxicity after morphine

Abstract

Three patients with chronic renal failure received fentanyl 0.5 mg and suxamethonium 40 mg intravenously. Vasoactivity attributed to suxamethonium and loss of consciousness were noted. Cardiorespiratory effects of unsupplemented fentanyl 0.5 mg injected slowly were not significant in four chronically azotaemic patients. After morphine 100 mg was administered intravenously over a period of 10 minutes a characteristic fall in arterial oxygen tension was observed to a more pronounced degree than after fentanyl. Carbon dioxide responses were similar. There were no delayed sequelae in the fentanyl recipients. After morphine 100 mg there was a latent period of freedom from clinical side effects for 6 hours in the first and 95 minutes in the second patient, at which times deep coma persisting for 72 hours supervened in both. © 1971 John Sherratt and Son Ltd.