Influence of two different anaesthetic agents on the newborn and the correlation between foetal oxygenation and induction-delivery time in elective caesarean section.

The PO2 and acid-base balance (pH, PCO2 and base deficit) of the newborn, determined at the moment of birth and at 10 and 60 min after birth, were compared in two series of elective caesarean section, anaesthesia being induced with thiopentone in one series (n = 12), and with ketamine in the other (n = 16). The PO2 and acid base values of umbilical cord blood at birth were correlated with the induction delivery (ID) times of the total series of patients subjected to elective caesarean section (n = 28). The ID-times were varied between 2 and 10 min. The PO2, acid-base values and Apgar scores did not differ between the thiopentone and ketamine groups. A significant negative correlation between the PO2 of the newborn at the moment of birth and the ID-time was found in the thiopentone group. The study suggests that ketamine is a good alternative to barbiturate as an induction agent for caesarean section.