Premium
The Blocking Effect of Epidural Analgesia on the Adrenocortical and Hyperglycemic Responses to Surgery
Author(s) -
Engquist Allan,
Brandt Mogens R.,
Fernandes Alvito,
Kehlet Henrik
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1977.tb01227.x
Subject(s) - medicine , anesthesia , hysterectomy , endocrine system , epidural block , surgery , hormone
The adrenocortical and hyperglycemic responses to hysterectomy were studied in five groups of patients receiving: general anesthesia (group I), general anesthesia + epidural analgesia extending from Th 10 ‐S 4–5 (group II), general anesthesia + epidural analgesia extending from Th 8 ‐S 4–5 (group III), general anesthesia + epidural analgesia extending from Th 4–6 ‐S 5 (group IV) and epidural analgesia extending from Th 4 ‐S 5 without general anesthesia (group V). The results showed that the Cortisol response was abolished in group V, inhibited in group IV and normal in groups II and III. The hyperglycemic response to surgery was inhibited in groups II, III and IV, and abolished in group V. Epidural analgesia from Th 4 to S 5 , preventing the adrenocortical and hyperglycemic responses to hysterectomy, and possibly also inhibiting other components of the endocrine‐metabolic response to surgery, may have important applications in further studies of the physiologic significance of the endocrine‐metabolic response to surgery.