Korean J Anesthesiol.  1984 Mar;17(1):17-26.

The Clinical Comparative Stndy on Liver Function with Enflurane and Halothane Anesthetics

• Suh JK
• Shim JC
• Kim YJ
• Chung CW
• Kang GB
• Hwang YH
• Yoo HK
• Park DH
• Suh BT
• Kim WS

Abstract

Halothane was introduced in 1956. It has been used worldwidely as a relatively safe inhalation anesthetic but it is generally accepted that it can cause decrease of liver function. But the causative factor has not yet been pinpointed. Enflurane also seems to decrease liver function but the exact cause is not yet known. In order to study the effects of enflurane and halothane on liver function, we used 10 cases of spinal anesthesia as a control group, and 20 cases each of enflurane and halothane anesthesia respectively as experimental group. We then checked serum GOT, GPT, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and eosinophil count in peripheral venous blood before oeration and 6 days after operation and looked for the existence of high fever of more than 39 degrees C 3 days postoperatively. The results are as follows: 1) We found statistical significant change of serum GOT, GPT, total billirubin alkaline phosphatase and eosinophil count in spinal, enflurane, or halothane anesthesia beofre and after operation. There was no statistically significance between the control and experimental groups. 2) No patient developed high fever of more than 39 degrees C until 3 days after anesthesia in any group. 3) No significant change of mean arterial blood pressure was observed before and during anesthesia in each group. In this study no definite conclusion that enflurane and halothane might have affected the liver function.

MeSH Terms

Alkaline Phosphatase
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, Spinal
Anesthetics*
Arterial Pressure
Bilirubin
Enflurane*
Eosinophils
Fever
Halothane*
Humans
Inhalation
Liver*
Alkaline Phosphatase
Anesthetics
Bilirubin
Enflurane
Halothane