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Haemodynamic depression by halothane is age‐related in paediatric patients
Author(s) -
Friesen Robert H.,
Wurl Jonathan L.,
Charlton Gareth A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
pediatric anesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.704
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1460-9592
pISSN - 1155-5645
DOI - 10.1046/j.1460-9592.2000.00495.x
Subject(s) - medicine , halothane , anesthesia , hemodynamics , depression (economics) , ventilation (architecture) , blood pressure , inhalation , age groups , mechanical engineering , demography , sociology , engineering , economics , macroeconomics
Summary The hypothesis that young infants are more sensitive to the haemodynamic depressant effects of halothane compared with older children was tested. One hundred and sixty unpremedicated, ASA physical status I or II paediatric patients without cardiac or pulmonary disease were divided into five age groups: term neonates, 1–6 months, 6–24 months, 2–6 years and 6–12 years. Anaesthetic induction was achieved with halothane in oxygen and air via mask. Vecuronium 0.1 mg·kg −1 was administered intravenously. During normocapnic manual ventilation by mask, endtidal halothane concentration was maintained at either 2×age‐specific MAC (Method I) or 1.7% (Method II) in 20 patients in each age group for 10 min. In both Method I and Method II, systolic and mean blood pressure of term neonates and infants aged 1–6 months decreased significantly ( P < 0.01) compared with other age groups. The results of this study demonstrate that neonates and young infants are more susceptible to haemodynamic depression during halothane anaesthesia than are older children, confirming clinical experience.