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Effects of Thoracic Epidural Analgesia on Cardiovascular Function and Plasma Concentration of Free Fatty Acids and Catecholamines in the Dog
Author(s) -
Hotvedt R.,
Platou E. S.,
Refsum H.
Publication year - 1984
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.1399-6576.1984.tb02028.x
Subject(s) - medicine , anesthesia , hemodynamics , bupivacaine , blood pressure , local anesthetic , myocardial infarction , heart rate
Increased plasma levels of free fatty acids (FFA), leading to increases in the myocardial oxygen demand, are seen after, for example, surgical stress, traumas and myocardial infarction. The present study was undertaken to investigate the cardiovascular effects of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) and the effect of TEA on the plasma concentration of FFA and catecholamines. In 10 sodium‐pentobarbital‐anaesthetized dogs the local anaesthetic agent bupivacaine was injected into the thoracic epidural space via a surgically introduced catheter. TEA markedly reduced heart rate, mean aortic blood pressure, left ventricular systolic blood pressure and dP/dtmax. TEA reduced the plasma concentration of FFA. The FFA‐lowering effect was greatest when the FFA values were high. The effect of TEA on the plasma concentration of noradrenaline and adrenaline was inconsistent and seemed to be of minor importance for the haemodynamic and FFA effects of TEA. The study indicates that TEA, by its haemodynamic and FFA‐lowering effects, may reduce myocardial oxygen demand.