Changes in plasma catecholamines, blood pressure, heart rate and central venous pressure associated with three different types of positive pressure ventilation (IPPV, CPPV-5 and IPNPV-5) were studied in 2 1 patients who received normoventilation and were anaesthetized using the N,O-0,-relaxant-analgesic technique. Total catecholamines, adrenaline and noradrenaline were determined by the method of VENDSALU (1960).CPPV-5 caused a higher mean peak inspiratory pressure than IPPV or IPNPV-5. Central venous pressure was elevated in all groups during the first 5 min, but fell thereafter to a significantly lower level in the IPNPV-5 group than in the IPPV or CPPV-5 groups. Blood pressure fell in all groups 20 to 30 mmHg under the preanaesthetic level. During the first 5 min, the fall was most pronounced in the CPPV-5 group, but thereafter no significant differences between the groups were found.Plasma catecholamines increased slightly, but statistically insignificantly, in the CPPV-5 group during the whole observation period. The levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline did not change significantly in any of the groups.