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Halothane-Induced Cardiac Arrhythmias following Administration of Aminophylline in Experimental Animals

Joseph A. Stirt, MD^*, Jack M. Berger, MD, PhD, Steven D. Roe, BS, Sandra M. Ricker, BS, and Stuart F. Sullivan, MD

*Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024. Research Associate, Department of Anesthesiology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024. Technical Services Supervisor, Department of Anesthesiology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024. Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024.

Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias often occur when patients receiving aminophylline are anesthetized with halothane. This animal study was designed to define what constitute arrhythmogenic doses of aminophylline when administered before halothane anesthesia. One group of six dogs was given aminophylline, 10 mg/kg IV, followed in 3 minutes by inhalation of 1% halothane. In two additional groups of dogs the same experimental protocols were used except that aminophylline doses were 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg. In the first group, two of six dogs developed ventricular arrhythmias during induction of halothane anesthesia. One of six dogs given 25 mg/kg of aminophylline developed a ventricular arrhythmia. Three of six dogs given 50 mg/kg of aminophylline developed ventricular arrhythmias. Sustained ventricular arrhythmias occurred in 33Y0 of the animals with therapeutic serum theophylline levels and in 33% of the animals with toxic levels. Induction of halothane anesthesia within 15 minutes of aminophylline administration may be dangerous and is likely to result in severe and persistent ventricular arrhythmias.

Key Words: PHARMACOLOGY: aminophylline • ANESTHETICS, Volatile: halothane • HEART: arrhythmia

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Weinberger and L. Hendeles Theophylline in Asthma N. Engl. J. Med., May 23, 1996; 334(21): 1380 - 1388. [Full Text] [PDF]

Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999