This book reflects the proceedings of the Boerhaave Course, "Developments in drugs used in Anaesthesia", held on r'lay 7th and 8th 1981 at Leiden University. The goal of the organizers of the course was to obtain a better under­ standing of the pharmacological and clinical applications of the drugs used in the field of Anaesthesiology. In my opinion, there is a constant need for post-graduate teaching not only on a clinical basis, but also in the so-called "basic sciences". This especially applies to anaesthetists. I would like to express my thanks to the speakers, who were all so kind as to send their manuscripts in time for publishing, and to thank the co-editors of this book, as well as rtr. B.P. Ccmnandeur, from r'lar­ tinus Nijhoff Publishers for their fruitful co-operation. Last but not least, I would like to thank the secretarial staff of my depar~ent for all the work they did arranging for manuscripts to be in the right places at the right times. Joh. Spierdijk THE USE OF H2 BLOCKERS T.H. STANLEY In the last decade a new important histamine receptor, H2 receptor, has been discovered which has major importance in gastric acid production. In addition, a new drug Cimetidine (Tagamet) which blocks the H2 receptor has been synthesized. The object of this presentation will be to discuss the possible role of this interesting drug (Cimetidine) before and during operation and possible postoperatively as well.

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1. The use of H2 blockers.- 2. General pharmacokinetic principles of induction agents.- 3. Midazolam as anaesthetic induction agent.- 4. Dipravan.- 5. Alfentanyl: a new narcotic anaesthetic induction agent.- 6. Etomidate and other new induction agents.- 7. Opioid receptors and analgesia.- 8. Factors in pharmacokinetics of analgesics.- 9. The physiological background of stress-free anesthesia.- 10. New developments in the use of high dose narcotic techniques for coronary artery surgery.- 11. Electroencephalographic responses during high-dose opioid anaesthesia.- 12. Electrical anesthesia.- 13. Protection of ischemic brain.- 14. Protection of the ischemic myocardium.- 15. Isoflurane.- 16. New neuromuscular blocking agents.- 17. Basic pharmacology and possible therapeutic applications of 4-aminopyridine.- 18. The epidural use narcotic analgesics.- 19. What is new in local anesthesia?.