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Etomidate‐anaesthesia, with and without fentanyl, compared with urethane‐anaesthesia in the rat
Author(s) -
Wildt D.J.,
Hillen F.C.,
Rauws A.G.,
Sangster B.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1983.tb11019.x
Subject(s) - etomidate , fentanyl , anesthesia , medicine , blood pressure , heart rate , hemodynamics , vascular resistance , ventilation (architecture) , propofol , mechanical engineering , engineering
1 In spontaneously breathing rats, continuous infusion of etomidate with and without fentanyl caused a slight decrease in blood pressure and heart rate. Coadministration of fentanyl and etomidate in order to obtain full anaesthesia and analgesia resulted in respiratory depression. 2 In artificially ventilated rats both etomidate as well as the anaesthetic combination caused a strong reduction in aortic flow and an increase in total peripheral resistance. A single infusion of etomidate did not change blood pressure. Etomidate combined with fentanyl reduced blood pressure. Under adjusted ventilation blood pressure, aortic flow, max(dF/dt) and heart rate were progressively reduced during a 4 h period. 3 In contrast, urethane anaesthesia reduced aortic flow to a minor extent. Total peripheral resistance and max(dF/dt) were hardly affected. The slightly reduced blood pressure and blood gas variables remained stable during the experiment. 4 From pharmacokinetic studies it was established that effective etomidate plasma levels were maintained constant during the experimental period. Pharmacokinetic interaction between etomidate and fentanyl did not occur. 5 It is concluded that for anaesthesia of longer duration during cardiovascular experiments in rats, urethane is preferable to etomidate/fentanyl because it does not cause serious changes in basal haemodynamic variables.