Cardiac arrhythmia during outpatient dental anaesthesia: the advantages of a controlled ventilation technique.

Two techniques for endotracheal anaesthesia in dental outpatients have been compared: a spontaneous ventilation technique using nitrous oxide, oxygen and halothane, and a controlled ventilation technique using nitrous oxide and oxygen, with tubocurarine and fentanyl. The latter technique has several advantages: abolition of arrhythmias induced by surgery, more rapid and hence safer recovery, avoidance of suxamethonium, and avoidance of atmospheric contamination with and possible sensitization to halothane.