Korean J Anesthesiol.  1979 Dec;12(4):321-324.

A Comparative Study on the Doses of Epinephrine Causing Arrhythmia during Enflurane and Halothane Anesthesia

• Kwak IY
• Kim SD

Abstract

While halothane, cyclopropane, chloroform and trichloroethylene have been clearly implicated to sensitize the myocardum and increase the risk of ventricular fibrillation, newer inhalation anesthetics have shown relatively less arrhythmogenecity. Isoflurane has been suggested to be compatible with epinephrine, while controversial data suggest enflurane, an isomer of isoflurane, may or may not sensitize the myocardium, which is to be clarified by the authors study. By constant intravenous infusion using VIP pump at the rate of 2.5ug/kg/min, the dosage of epinephrine causing premature ventricular contractions was measured in ten male mongrel dogs during halothane and enflurane anesthesia. While premature ventricular contractions were observed in all dogs anesthetized with halothane, the cardiac arrhythythmia was seen in only two dogs anesthetized with enflurane. Epinephrine dosage causing premature ventricular contractions and the resultant increase in mean arterial pressure at which arrhythmias occurred were significantly higher(p< 0. 05) during enflurane anesthesia than durinh halothane anesthesiae. These results suggest that enflurane, in comparison with halothane, is relatively less arrhythmogenic.

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia*
Anesthetics, Inhalation
Animals
Arrhythmias, Cardiac*
Arterial Pressure
Chloroform
Dogs
Enflurane*
Epinephrine*
Halothane*
Humans
Infusions, Intravenous
Isoflurane
Male
Myocardium
Trichloroethylene
Ventricular Fibrillation
Ventricular Premature Complexes
Anesthetics, Inhalation
Chloroform
Enflurane
Epinephrine
Halothane
Isoflurane
Trichloroethylene