Premium
Effects of Precurarization on the Heart Measured by Systolic Time Intervals
Author(s) -
Hommelgaard Peter,
Eriksen Søren
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.tb01243.x
Subject(s) - medicine , atropine , heart rate , anesthesia , cardiology , increased heart rate , blood pressure
The effects of precurarization, with or without prior atropine medication, on heart rate, systolic time intervals (preejection period (PEP) and left ventricular ejection time (LVET)) and derivatives from these were studied in 80 healthy patients before minor surgery. Atropine (0.5–0.7 mg i.v.) exerted a vagolytic action with no changes in systolic time intervals. D‐tubocurarine (0.5 mg/kg b.w.) did not affect heart rate or systolic time intervals. Both gallamine (0.3 mg/kg b.w.) and pancuronium (0.015 mg/kg b.w.) increased heart rate due to the inherent vagolytic effect. Furthermore, a short‐lasting decrease in PEP and an increase in LVET were demonstrated. Consequently, a fall in PEP/LVET and a rise in 1/PEP 2 were induced, indicating an increase in cardiac pump performance. These changes were blocked by prior atropine medication, a result which is not easily explainable. Possible clinical implications are discussed.