The effect of enflurane and fentanyl anaesthesia on human platelet aggregation in vivo.

In 30 patients undergoing major operations, and anaesthetized with either nitrous oxide, oxygen and enflurane, or nitrous oxide, oxygen and fentanyl, there was no significant alteration in platelet aggregation induced by either adenosine diphosphate or collagen. The absence of any significant effect on platelet function was confirmed by an unchanging thromboelastogram pattern during the study.