Ketamine and the obstetric patient.
1 (0,8%) 5 (4,0%) Thiopentone N20 + O2 (+ ether) 126 1 (0,8'10) The study included 261 unpremedicated mothers scheduled for abdominal delivery. The conventional anaesthetic sequence-thiopentone, muscle relaxants, nitrous oxide and oxygen given by controlled ventilation-was used in 126 subjects. The remaining 135 patients were given ketamine and muscle relaxants by intravenous injection. and ventilation was controlled with an oxygen-nitrogen admixture. After delivery of the fetus, in the latter group, anaesthesia was maintained with either nitrous oxide, nitrous oxide and ether, or further injections of ketamine. Diazepam (5 10 mg) was given intravenously to 35 of the mothers maintained on ketamine alone. On the day after operation, each patient was interviewed in an attempt to elicit the incidence of factual and dream recall. In addition, the theatre, recovery room and· ward nursing staff were asked to report abnormal behaviour during recovery from anaesthesia.