Hepatic pathology and skin test reactions to trifluoro-acetylated autologous protein after repeated halothane anaesthesia in the guineapig.

The aetiology of the rare hepatic failure following halothane anaesthesia is not known. In an attempt to develop an experimental model, three groups of guineapigs were exposed to air or oxygen, a single 1% halothane administration, or five exposures of 1% halothane at weekly intervals. In an attempt to identify a hypersensitivity reaction, all animals were skin-tested with the common final metabolite of halothane, fluroxene and isoflurane: trifluoroacetic acid, prepared as a complex with autologous serum protein. Hepatic necrosis was found in all groups and did not correlate with positive skin reactions. There was an increase in fatty changes in the liver in animals anaesthetized with halothane.