[Postoperative respiratory depression following ambulatory anesthesia for abortion. Evolution of the ventilatory response to CO2 following the use of propofol alone or in association with different opioids: comparison with midazolam in the same situation].

Sixty patients, undergoing minor gynaecologic procedures, were prospectively enrolled in this randomized study. They were anaesthetized with either propofol or midazolam supplemented or not with fentanyl or alfentanil. Respiratory depression was evaluated using repeated measurements of ventilatory response to CO2 (Read's method) during the preoperative period until the second postoperative hour.

[Alkalization of bupivacaine in the combination fentanyl-bupivacaine in epidural obstetrical analgesia].

A randomized double blind study was carried out to determine whether alkalization of a 0.25% bupivacaine solution in a fentanyl-bupivacaine mixture hastened the onset, and increased the duration and quality, of extradural analgesia during labour. The study included 120 women with uncomplicated full-term gestation.

Intravenous propofol during cesarean section: placental transfer, concentrations in breast milk, and neonatal effects. A preliminary study.

Placental transfer and neonatal effects of propofol were investigated in 21 women undergoing elective cesarean section under general anesthesia. This study was conducted in two separate phases according to the use of propofol. In both phases, anesthesia was induced with an iv bolus of 2.

Effect of diluting fentanyl on epidural bupivacaine during labor analgesia.

In a randomized prospective study carried out on 60 laboring primiparous parturients, fentanyl 80 micrograms, either in 2 ml or in 8 ml, was added to 12 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine administered epidurally for pain relief. The aims of this protocol were to evaluate the effect of varying the volume of fentanyl added to epidural bupivacaine on the quality and duration of labor analgesia.

[Neonatal effects of propofol administered to the mother in anesthesia in cesarean section].

Propofol, 2-6 diisopropylphenol ("Diprivan", ICI) has been shown to be safe and effective for induction and maintenance of anesthesia when injected intravenously. Its pharmacological profile suggests that it may prove to be a useful agent in obstetric anesthetic practice. But, obstetrics is a specialized field in which the acute effects of the anesthetic agent on the fetus must be considered.