[The effect of fenoterol on the incidence of arrhythmias during Caesarean section (author's transl)].

Beta-sympathomimetic tocolysis is an important part of modern obstetric therapy. Severe cardio-vascular complications have been described however, when inhalational anaesthesia was given following fenoterol-verapamil therapy. Alterations in clinical; cardiovascular parameters were measured in a prospective study on healthy women who had to undergo caesarean section and who had been treated with fenoterol-verapamil until the time of anaesthesia. The patients were given either halothane or enflurane as inhalational anaesthetic, and either an atropine premedication or none at all. Severe cardiovascular disturbances such as frequent extrasystole, arrhythmias or marked falls in blood pressure were not noted either during induction, whether following atropine or not, or during the course of anaesthesia with either 0.5 vol% halothane or 1.0 vol% enflurane.