Abstract
Twenty patients undergoing cesarean section received cimethidine 400 mg intramuscularly as pre-anesthetic approximately 70 minutes prior to gastric aspiration. The average pH was 5.05, as against 2.97 in the control group (p<0.01). No significant reduction in the aspirated volumes was observed. In the cimethidine group the proportion of patients at risk of developing Mendelson's syndrome (pH<2.5 and volume > 25 ml) was significantly reduced, viz. 5% as against 42% in the control group (P = 0.014). No perinatal effects attributable to cimethidine were observed in the infants. Hence, cimethidine is a safe and useful pre-anesthetic for patients undergoing cesarean section, irrespective of indication and, consequently, much to be preferred to oral antacids.