Observation of hemodynamic variability and level of blood cortisol while induction with propofol and etomidate: A prospective, randomized, double blind study

: To observe the effects of propofol and etomidate induction on patients undergoing laproscopic cholecystectomies regarding serum cortisol level, hemodynamic parameters, pain on injection, myoclonus, and apnea on induction. : It is a prospective, randomized, double blind study. After approval from Institute Ethics Committee, sixty patients of age between 18 and 60 years with ASA grade I and II scheduled for laproscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia were randomly divided into two groups: Group A (n=30) would receive injection propofol 2 mg/kg i.v., Group B (n=30) would receive injection etomidate 0.3 mg/kg i.v. as induction agent. Vital parameters at induction, laryngoscopy and thereafter recorded. Pain on injection, myoclonus, apnea on induction were carefully watched. Serum Cortisol is measured at 1 hour before induction and at 2 hours and 24 hours after induction. : Demographic variables and baseline parameters were comparable in both groups.Propofol group show significant decrease in heart rate and mean blood pressure after induction in comparison to etomidate group. Pain on injection was more in group A while myoclonus activity was higher in Group B. Serum cortisol level is significantly lower in Group B post induction compared to Group A which comes to above baseline after 24 hrs but in normal range. Etomidate is a better induction agent than propofol in view of hemodynamic stability but also led to chemical evidence of adrenocortical insufficiency in patients with ASA grade I & II undergoing elective laproscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia which returns to normal in 24 hrs.