[Impact of alfatesine anesthesia on cerebrospinal fluid pressure in man].

The variations in pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid was studied in 20 patients before and after induction of anesthesia with alfatesine (0.1 ml/Kg). 14 patients received no other complementary drug (group 1); in the six other cases, 1 g. of acetylsalicylic acid was administered as an analgesic complement (group II). All of the patients spontnaeously ventilated an O2 - N2O 50 p. 100 mixture. The C.S.F. pressure fell by 39 p. 100 on the average (p. less than 0.001) in group I and did not vary in group II. This fall is essentially related to cerebral vasoconstriction, therefore to the fall in cerebral blood flow caused by Alfatesine. In group II hypercapnia was noted in all of the patients; it abolishes the cerebral vasoconstriction due to Alfatesine; the cerebral blood flow did not fall neither did the C.S.F. pressure.