Evaluation of left ventricular performance by echocardiography during anesthesia
Yonemura, E.; Nakamura, M.; Fukushima, K.
Masui. Japanese Journal of Anesthesiology 31(7): 705-712
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-4892 PMID: 7131745 Document Number: 188586
Echocardiographic studies were performed on 23 patients without cardiac disease, ranging in age from 14-77 yr, for elective surgical operation to evaluate the effects of halothane and epidural anesthesia on left ventricular performance. Seven patients were anesthetized with inhalation of 1% halothane with N2O and O2 for 10 min. Mean arterial blood pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output, ejection fraction, fractional shortening and mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening decreased significantly. Halothane apparently depressed myocardial contractility. During lumbar epidural anesthesia with N2O and O2 in 16 patients, mean arterial blood pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output, ejection fraction, fractional shortening and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension decreased significantly, except a slight decrease of mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening. Apparently, epidural anesthesia with N2O and O2 did not decrease myocardial contractility. Mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension determined from echocardiography were useful discrimination of low cardiac output syndrome caused by negative inotropic effect of halothane or Frank-Starling effect by epidural anesthesia.