COMPARATIVE-STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF HALOTHAN-N2O-ANESTHESIA AND NEUROLEPTANALGESIA ON PLASMA-CATECHOLAMINES DURING THE INTRAOPERATIVE AND POST-OPERATIVE PERIOD

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 28  (11) , 517-522
Abstract
The influence of neuroleptanalgesia and halothane-N2O-anesthesia on the activity of the sympathetic nervous system was studied continuously in the intra- and postoperative period in 2 groups of 10 patients undergoing abdominal surgery. In the neuroleptanalgesia-group the noradrenaline [norepinrphrine, NA] level in plasma rose continuously during the course of the operation and this increase was highly significant. The adrenaline [epinephrine, A] level in plasma increased, but this increase did not depend on the duration of the surgery. In the halothane-N2O-group only a small increase of A and NA in plasma could be demonstrated intraoperatively. At 1 h after the end of the operation the plasma levels of A and NA were elevated in both groups. The NA level was even higher after neuroleptanalgesia. At 4 h after the end of surgery the levels of A and NA started to decrease, but were still above the preanesthetic level. The increase of the concentration of catecholamines in plasma indicating an activation of the sympathetic nervous system was not associated with a corresponding increase in heart rate and blood pressure intra- and postoperatively in either group. Only in the neuroleptanalgesia-group was there a small but insignificant increase of the systolic and diastolic pressure postoperatively.