The effects of drugs and anaesthetic agents on the urinary bladder and sphincters.

The influence of sedative, anaesthetic and neuromuscular blocking drugs on diagnostic urethral pressure profiles and cystometrograms has been investigated. These agents have marked effects on the results obtained; in particular, the urethral pressure profile was raised by opiates and lowered by anaesthetic induction agents. Bladder capacity as measured by the cystometrogram was greatly increased by halothane. These findings indicate that urodynamic studies should be performed only on conscious unsedated patients.