PLASMA HYDROCORTISONE CONCENTRATIONS IN RELATION TO ANAESTHESIA AND SURGERY

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Abstract
Pre-anaesthetic, pre-surgical and post-surgical concentrations of unconjugated plasma hydrocortisone were determined in eighteen patients by quantitative paper chromatography. The mean pre-anaesthetic level was slightly, but not significantly, higher than the mean concentration in the control series. Small, but statistically insignificant, mean rises of plasma hydrocortisone concentrations were found after anaesthesia maintained with nitrous oxide and oxygen or halothane. Rises in individual patients occurred only after 30 minutes of anaesthesia, the magnitude of these increases being proportional to the duration of anaesthesia. Increases in mean concentrations after surgical stimulation were insignificant when anaesthesia was maintained with nitrous oxide, oxygen and d-tubocurarine and possibly significant when halothane was used. A significant rise of mean post-surgical concentrations above mean pre-anaesthetic concentrations was measured during both types of anaesthesia. Possible causes of observed changes have been discussed.

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