An early clinical assessment of the steroid anaesthetic minaxolone

Minaxolone, a new water-soluble steroid anaesthetic, was studied in combination with nitrous oxide in 30 healthy female patients. The objective of the study was to assess induction dosage, clinical efficacy, recovery characteristics, and frequency of side effects. It proved to be an effective anaesthetic causing only minimal cardiovascular and respiratory depression. Those side effects which occurred during operation were felt to be due in part to light anaesthesia and lack of analgesia. Excitatory movements and hypertonus occurred in seven patients during operation and in ten patients in the early recovery phase. Late recovery was impressive, both in quality and lack of side effects, and all patients were considered fit for discharge from hospital within four hours of the operation. Minaxolone appears to be a promising new anaesthetic worthy of further study.