Korean J Anesthesiol.  1982 Mar;15(1):32-35.

The Effect of a Small Dose of Atropine on the Heart Rate in the Anesthetized and the Comstose Patient

• Oh IW
• Im WM

Abstract

It is well known that a small dose of atropine produces a significant decrease in the heart rate in normal human volunteers. The authors administered a small dose of atropine intravenously to thirteen halothane anesthetized and sixteen comatose patients, and compared its effect on the heart rate in both groups. The results are as follows: 1) In the halothane anesthetized patients, atropine(0.25mg) produced a significant increase in the heart rate. 2) In the comatose patients, atropine(0.25mg) also produced an increase in the heart rate, but the increase was less significant than that in the anesthetized patient. 3) Under halothane anesthesia and in the comatose state, the absence of bradycardia after atropine may suggest the fact that the sympathetic ganglion is already depressed in both states.

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia
Atropine*
Bradycardia
Coma
Ganglia, Sympathetic
Halothane
Healthy Volunteers
Heart Rate*
Heart*
Humans
Atropine
Halothane