Potentiation by anaesthetics of brain damage due to breathing high-pressure oxygen in mammals.

Abstract

THERE have been several reports that barbiturates administered to animals before their exposure to high-pressure oxygen reduce the incidence and severity of convulsions and delay death1–4. We have confirmed this protective action for barbiturates in mice and rats and have also shown that lung damage in rats due to exposure to high-pressure oxygen is decreased5. However, when rats were exposed for shorter periods to high-pressure oxygen, which did not result in acute death during pressurization, and were allowed to recover, it was found that pretreatment with anaesthetic doses of pentobarbital sodium (37.5 mgm./kgm. body-weight, intraperitoneally) immediately before exposure to high-pressure oxygen resulted in a very marked increase in delayed damage to the central nervous system.