ABSTRACT
In anesthesia for Caesarean section, some induction agents have been used. Thiopental so- dium is regarded as the standard induction agent. Propofol and ketamine have properties which suggest that it might be useful alternstives to thiopental. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the maternal and neonatal effect of propofol and ketamine used as induction agent for general anesthesia for elective Caeearean section. Sixty mothers undergoing elective Caesarean section under general anesthesia were allocated randomly to receive thiopental 4 mg/kg or ketamine 1 mg/kg or propofol 2 mg/ kg for induction of anesthesia. The results were as follows; 1) There were significant increase in systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and heart rate at postintubation within three groups(p<0.05). But there were no significant differences in cardiovascular responses between three groups during the induction. 2) The Apgar scores and blood gas analyses of neonates did not differ between three groups significsntly and the results were within normal range in all groups. As a result, propofol and ketamine are acceptable alternatives to thiopental for the induction of general anesthesia in Caesarean section. But in view of maternal cardiovascular changes and fetal well being, propofol and ketamine offer no significant advantage over thiopental.
