Electroanaesthesia and the Effects of Pulsed Electrostatic Fields Prior to the Induction Stage
D. P. Photiades, S. C. Ayivorh · 1967
Pulsed electrostatic fields applied before electroanesthesia reduced the required pulsed current and lowered pulse and blood pressure compared with controls.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed five male red patas monkeys and five human volunteers to pulsed electrostatic fields of 750 V/cm for one hour per session over ten sessions. The fields were generated by a 16,000 volt source with a 100 c/s ripple, pulsed five times per second between 25 cm square aluminum plates. When electroanesthesia was then administered, subjects pre-exposed to the fields required only 6 to 8 mA of pulsed current versus the full current in controls, and their pulse and blood pressure were 15 to 20% lower with reduced muscle spasm, while other complications were unchanged.
Why This Matters
The electroanesthesia system used a rectangular pulse of 100 per second and 1 ms width superimposed on a constant direct current delivered via bitemporal gold electrodes. The authors suggested that the drowsiness might result from the fields' monotonous repetitive nature or their action on enzyme systems.
Finding
Under the effect of electrostatic fields (cases 1 and 3), relaxation, and drowziness were observed, when the surroundings were quiet. In humans the mind was clear at all times and memory unaffected. On commencing electroanesthesia in cases 1 and 3; constant current was maintained at 15 m.a while pulsed d.c only had to be set to between 6 and 8 m.a to produce the same level of anesthesia (plane NO I of the surgical stage).
In their words
“Under the effect of electrostatic fields (cases 1 and 3), relaxation, and drowziness were observed, when the surroundings were quiet. In humans the mind was clear at all times and memory unaffected. On commencing electroanesthesia in cases 1 and 3; constant current was maintained at 15 m.a while pulsed d.c only had to be set to between 6 and 8 m.a to produce the same level of anesthesia (plane NO I of the surgical stage).”
Show BibTeX
@article{electroanaesthesia_and_the_effects_of_pulsed_electrostatic_fields_prior_to_the_i_g6983,
author = {D. P. Photiades and S. C. Ayivorh},
title = {Electroanaesthesia and the Effects of Pulsed Electrostatic Fields Prior to the Induction Stage},
year = {1967},
}