[Lower esophageal contractility: a new technique for assessing depth of anesthesia].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between lower esophageal contractility (LEC), clinical signs, EEG, and enflurane dosage as expressed by minimum alveolar concentration (MAC). Significant (P less than 0.01) correlations were observed between MAC and LEC, MAC and EEG. No correlations were observed between MAC and BP. HR versus LEC, BP versus LEC, and EEG versus LEC correlated only partially. The measurement of LEC is a promising new technique for assessing depth of anesthesia by inhaled anesthetic agents.