Comparison of the effects of intravenous alfentanil and esmolol on the cardiovascular response to double-lumen endobronchial intubation

✍ Scribed by A. Maguire; J. P. Thompson; C. Guest; P. J. Sadler; J. W. Strupish; K. J. West

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 167 KB
• Volume: 56
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0003-2409
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2044.2001.01917.x

✦ Synopsis

We compared the effect of alfentanil 10 microg.kg-1 and esmolol 1.5 mg.kg-1 on the cardiovascular responses to laryngoscopy and double-lumen endobronchial intubation in two groups of 20 ASA 2-3 patients undergoing pulmonary surgery, in a randomised double-blind study. Arterial pressure and heart rate decreased after induction of anaesthesia and increased after intubation in both groups (p < 0.05) but remained at or below baseline values, and changes were comparable in both groups. Plasma catecholamine concentrations decreased after induction of anaesthesia in both groups (p < 0.05). Epinephrine concentrations increased in the esmolol group after intubation (p < 0.05) but remained below baseline in the alfentanil group (p < 0.05). Norepinephrine concentrations increased significantly in both groups after intubation but were higher in the esmolol group (p < 0.05). Although both esmolol 1.5 mg.kg-1 and alfentanil 10 microg.kg-1 similarly attenuated the arterial pressure and heart rate response to endobronchial intubation, plasma catecholamine concentrations increased in the esmolol group to values greater than previously reported after tracheal intubation.