JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Herweling, A. Articles by Gervais, H. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Herweling, A. Articles by Gervais, H. W. Related Collections Anesthetic Techniques Pharmacology

---

ANESTHETIC PHARMACOLOGY

The Hemodynamic Effects of Ephedrine on the Onset Time of Rocuronium in Pigs

Annette Herweling, MD^*, Federico Latorre, MD, PhD^*, Andreas Herwig, MD^*, Georg Horstick, MD, PhD, Oliver Kempski, MD, PhD, and Hendrik W. Gervais, MD, PhD^*

*Department of Anesthesiology 2nd Medical Clinic, and Institute for Neurosurgical Pathophysiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Annette Herweling, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany. Address e-mail to herweling{at}uni-mainz.de

Several studies have found a correlation between the onset time of muscle relaxants, cardiac index, and muscle blood flow. Ephedrine increases these hemodynamic variables and shortens onset time of rocuronium in humans. Our aim in this animal study was to determine the effect of ephedrine on the onset time of rocuronium, cardiac index, and muscle blood flow after administration of thiopental. At predefined measuring points, mean arterial blood pressure and cardiac index were measured invasively and onset time was determined mechanomyographically. Twenty-four pigs were randomly assigned to three groups. Group I received etomidate and subsequently rocuronium (2 x 95% effective dose). Instead of etomidate, Group II received thiopental. In Group III, ephedrine 100 µg/kg was given before thiopental; additionally, muscle blood flow was measured (fluorescent microspheres). Although there were differences in hemodynamics between Groups I and II, this was not reflected in different onset times of rocuronium. In Group III, ephedrine compensated the thiopental-induced decrease of mean arterial blood pressure, cardiac index, and muscle blood flow, but no significant shortening of onset time (Group I: 74 ± 21 s; Group II: 71 ± 24; Group III: 69 ± 22 s) was found. Our results demonstrated that ephedrine-related increases in cardiac index and blood flow did not shorten onset time of rocuronium in healthy pigs.

IMPLICATIONS: In an animal study, the effect of ephedrine on onset time, cardiac index, and muscle blood flow was determined after administration of thiopental. A correlation between onset time of muscle relaxants and hemodynamic variables is discussed. Our results demonstrated that ephedrine did not shorten onset time of rocuronium in healthy pigs.

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