ETHER ANESTHESIA IN THE PRESENCE OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

Abstract

Great and sometimes dangerous efforts are made to avoid the use of ether anesthesia when surgery must be carried out on patients who happen to be suffering from tuberculosis; accordingly, it is important to examine the basis for the prejudice against the use of ether for tuberculous patients. As will be observed, this prejudice does not appear to be established on a secure foundation. We have therefore studied the results of using ether in operations on a carefully followed series of patients and have compared our results with those from other clinics. Our wish to give ether an adequate trial was based on extensive observations, made in many general surgery clinics as well as our own, that ether is extraordinarily well tolerated by the cachectic patient and by the patient whose respiratory and circulatory systems may be grossly impaired. 1 CURRENT BASIS FOR THE PREJUDICE AGAINST THE USE