Cardiopulmonary effects of enflurane and isoflurane in the dog.

The cardiopulmonary effects of 2 new inhalant anesthetics, enflurane and isoflurane, were studied in nonsedated, previously instrumented, awake dogs. Base line values were determined, and anesthesia was induced and maintained with the drug being studied. Enflurane depressed cardiopulmonary function to a greater extent than isoflurane. The depression of cardiopulmonary function from both agents increased with increasing depth of anesthesia. Enflurance produced muslce twitching, but isoflurane did not.