Etomidate and tonsillectomy.

Tonsillectomy under general anesthesia, one of the most commonplace operations there are, is more of a problem for the anesthetist than for the surgeon. Once intubated, the child or adult will be protected from any operative risks by correct ventilation and the protection of his upper airways. The only problem is that arising from the anesthesia required to carry out this intubation and from the consequences of this anesthesia on the waking period, which should be brief in order to avoid, after detubation, any reactions which might induce excessively deep sleep at that moment. In this respect we found etomidate, with its short duration of action, even after reinjection, just as interesting as methohexital. We should mention, however, that his product presents certain disadvantages the most troublesome of which seemed to be the pain provoked when this substance is injected. A new solution (of basic etomidate) still hardly presented this disadvantage.