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The effect of halothane on neonatal ciliary beat frequency
Author(s) -
O'CALLAGHAN C.,
ATHERTON M.,
KARIM K.,
GYI A.,
LANGTON J. A.,
ZAMUDIO I.,
BARRY P.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1994.tb00694.x
Subject(s) - medicine , halothane , beat (acoustics) , anesthesia , acoustics , physics
The effect of a commonly used anaesthetic agent, halothane, on neonatal cilial function was determined. A nasal cilial sample was taken from 13 healthy, term, newborn infants. For 1 h, half of each sample was exposed to halothane and half to air. Cilial function was assessed by measuring beat frequency with a modified light transmission method. Cilial beat frequency was significantly slower in the cilia exposed to halothane, 9(s.d. 2.5)Hz, than to air, 12.9(s.d. 1.5)Hz. Decreased mucociliary clearance following halothane anaesthesia is due, at least in part, to a directly depressant effect of halothane on ciliated cells.