Attempted reduction of the cardiostimulatory effects of ketamine by labetalol*

O O R E Ketamine hydrochloride has not been universally accepted as an induction agent, partly because of its cardiostimulatory effects and because attempts to control both the heart rate and blood pressure rise have been disappointing.Another paper from this department in this issue reports a systematic attempt to reduce these by various drugs, such as promethazine, procainamide, hexamethonium, practolol, phentolamine, verapamil and labeta-1 0 1 .~ Labetalol seemed to be the most promising of these and this paper reports its use in five series of patients, two of which were also given tubocurarine.Labetalol is an antihypertensive agent with both a and 8-adrenergic blocking properties.'-'It is considered to have more potent /?-blocking properties and, in the recommended initial dose of 0.5 mg kg-l intravenously, it would appear to be a promising drug to treat severe hypertension.At higher doses, a-adrenoceptor blocking properties become more marked.