[Apgar status, blood gases and acid base balance of neonates after caesarean sections, using either thiopentone or ketamine for induction of anaesthesia (author's transl)].

Apgar status and acid base balance of 206 neonates, delivered by caesarean section under general anaesthesia, were investigated in order to compare the possible effects of either thiopentone- or ketamine-induction on the postpartum adaption. Several other criteria were recorded also, for instance, a possible neonatal asphyxia, the induction-delivery-interval, the maternal age, the administration of other than anaesthetic drugs etc. There were not correlations between the Apgar status and the induction-delivery interval in either groups. The number of neonates within the 3 Apgar-classes, and the asphyxiated neonates, were equally distributed in the thiopentone- and ketamine-groups. There was no correlation between maternal ages and either the thiopentone- or ketamin-babies, but a marked correlation with the number of depressed newborns. Those neonates, who were suspected to be hypoxic before anaesthesia showed a more depressed post-partum respiration after thiopentone- than after ketamine-induction. On the other hand it seems to be that neonatal respiration and total Apgar status was more depressed if the "ketamin mothers" were treated with sedatives, hypnotics and/or analgesics before caesarean section. The blood gas values and the acid base parameters did not show a statistically significant difference between the pH of the thiopentone- and the ketamine-neonates. These differences can be explained as the combination of the nonsignificant changes in PCO2 and standard-bicarbonate values. As far as can be judged from the above mentioned criteria it may be deduced that ketamine or thiopentone can equally well be used for inducation of anaesthesia for caesarean section.