Influence of hypercarbia and hypotension upon liver damage following halothane anæsthesia

Abstract

The possibility of parenchymatous damage by the volatile anasthetic halothane, § has led to several investigations into the effect of this agent upon the liver.Raventosl reported mild necrosis of the central part of the liver lobule in animals after prolonged exposure to halothane.However, the liver function tests remained normal in the animals studied.Pallor around the central vein of the liver lobules without apparent cellular destruction has been reported in another series of animals after twenty-four hours exposure to halothane.2The Medical Research Council group in England, 3 reported an incidence of mild abnormalities of liver function subsequent to clinical halothane anasthesia that was similar to the findings in a control group of patients receiving other agents.Similar results were obtained by Little and Barbour,4 while Brindle, Gilbert and Millar,S studying the liver function in neurosurgical patients anasthetised with halothane, reported that 32 per cent of the group showed liver function change as reflected by bromsulphthalein retention.Halothane anaesthesia is accompanied by decreased tidal excursion, tachypnoea and commonly hypotension. 1 2 6 The possibility that the conditions produced by anasthesia with this agent may promote a potential hepatotoxic action of halothane has prompted this clinical investigation of hepatic function, first, in patients subjected to the stress of additional carbon dioxide in the respired atmosphere during the administration of halothane and second, after halothane anas-