Age-Related Effects of Esmolol on Pressure and Pulse Pressure in the Femoral and Radial Arteries of Patients without Cardiovascular Disease

Kwak, Young Lan; Oh, Young Jun; Lee, Jong Hwa; Shin, Helen Kisin; Lee, Wong Cheol; Hong, Yong Woo

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It has been known that radial artery pressure (RAP) some times underestimate the central pressure. In many studies, femoral artery pressure (FAP) and RAP have been considered as central and peripheral artery pressures, respectively and there might be a possibility that age and the change of blood pressure exert different effect on FAP and RAP. This study evaluated the effect of esmolol (E) on RAP and FAP and the changes in their pulse pressure (PP) in different age groups.
METHODS
Fifty-one adult patients without cardiovascular disease were enrolled in this study. Twenty six patients were younger than 25 years (group 1) and 25 patients were older than 50 years (group 2). Radial and femoral arteries were cannulated and recorded before anesthesia. After induction of anesthesia, FAP, RAP and heart rate were recorded (T1) and then E was infused to decrease the FAP to 15% lower than its value of T1(T2). Variables were recorded 30 sec after the cessation of E infusion.
RESULTS
Systolic pressure and PP of RAP were greater than of FAP in group 1, but those of FAP were greater than of RAP in group 2 before anesthesia. FAP was higher than RAP in both groups after anesthesia, regardless of the infusion of E. E infusion didn't change the pressure gradients between FAP and RAP in either group, except systolic pressure gradient in group 2. The PP of FAP was identical with of RAP in group 1 at both T1 and T2 but greater than of RAP in group 2 at both periods. E decreased the PP of both RAP and FAP in both groups.
CONCLUSIONS
RAP is lower than FAP, and the PP of both pressures are affected by age and esmolol after anesthesia. However, the differences between both pressures are maintained after E infusion.