Abstract
Purpose: The volatile anesthetic desflurane has been associated with neurocirculatory responses that have been relatively refractory to adjuvant treatment. We have employed desflurane to evaluate the integrity of the sympathetic nerve recording after establishment of the anesthetized state with another anesthetic agent. This retrospective evaluation of data from volunteers determined if higher concentrations of isoflurane that were sufficient to block the neurocirculatory response to laryngeal and tracheal stimulation would abolish the neurocirculatory response to desflurane.
Methods: Data from eight, healthy, young volunteers met our criteria for inclusion. They had been anesthetized with propofol or thiopental and intubated after neuromuscular blockade. Each subject was monitored with radial artery blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR)(ECG), and sympathetic microneurography. Isoflurane had been administered to achieve a steady state concentration of 1.5 MAC (minimum alveolar concentration) while oxygenation and carbon dioxide were monitored with pulse oximetry and infrared spectrometry, respectively. A deep level of anesthesia was confirmed when laryngoscopy and endotracheal tube movement failed to elicit a neurocirculatory response. A brief exposure to 11% desflurane in the inspired gas was then provided.
Results: The responses to desflurane included significant increases in HR, range 32–84 b/min, and BP, range 15–72 mm Hg (P<0.05). Sympathetic nerve activity increased substantially in the three volunteers with functional nerve recordings.
Conclusion: In healthy volunteers receiving 1.5 MAC isoflurane, which was sufficient to block the neurocirculatory response to laryngoscopy and tracheal stimulation, there were striking increases in sympathetic outflow, HR and BP when 11% desflurane was substituted for isoflurane.
Résumé
Objectif: L’anesthésique volatil desflurane a été associé à des réponses neurocirculatoires relativement réfractaires à un traitement adjuvant. Nous avons utilisé le desflurane pour évaluer l’intégrité du nerf sympathique après l’installation de l’anesthésie avec un autre anesthésique. La présente évaluation rétrospective de participants volontaires a cherché à déterminer si une concentration élevée d’isoflurane, suffisante pour bloquer la réponse neurocirculatoire à la stimulation laryngée et trachéale, pouvait abolir la réponse neurocirculatoire au desflurane.
Méthode: Huit jeunes volontaires en santé ont participé à l’étude. Ils ont été anesthésiés avec du propofol ou du thiopental et intubés après blocage neuromusculaire. Chaque patient a été surveillé par le monitorage de la tension de l’artère radiale (TA) et de la fréquence cardiaque (FC) (ECG) et par la microneurographie sympathique. L’isoflurane a été administré jusqu’à une concentration stationnaire de 1,5 CAM (concentration alvéolaire minimale) et l’oxygénation et le gaz carbonique ont été vérifiés par l’oxymétrie pulsée et la spectrométrie à infrarouge, respectivement. Un niveau profond d’anesthésie a été confirmé lorsque la laryngoscopie et le mouvement du tube endotrachéal n’ont pu provoquer de réponse neurocirculatoire. Les sujets ont été soumis ensuite à une brève exposition au desflurane à 11 % dans le gaz inspiré.
Résultats: Les réactions au desflurane comprennent des augmentations significatives de la FC, 32–84 b/min, et de la TA, 15–72 mmHg (P<0,05). L’activité du nerf sympathique a beaucoup augmenté chez les trois participants qui présentaient des enregistrements fonctionnels du nerf.
Conclusion: Chez des volontaires sains qui reçoivent 1,5 CAM d’isoflurane, dose suffisante pour empêcher la réponse neurocirculatoire à la laryngoscopie et à la stimulation trachéale, on a noté des hausses importantes de la décharge sympathique, de la FC et de la TA lorsque du desflurane à 11 % a été substitué à l’isoflurane.
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Ebert, T.J., Trotier, T.S., Arain, S.R. et al. High concentrations of isoflurance do not block the sympathetic nervous system activation from desflurane. Can J Anaesth 48, 133–138 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03019725
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03019725