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Response to surgical stress in elderly patients and Alzheimer's disease
A Kudoh1, H Ishihara, A Matsuki
1Division of Anesthesia, Hakodate Watanabe Hospital, Japan.
Purpose:
To determine the effect of surgical stress on plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, ACTH and cortisol concentrations in patients aged 80-99 yr and in patients complicated with Alzheimer's disease.
Methods:
A prospective controlled study was undertaken in 55 undergoing surgical reduction of femur neck fracture in Hirosaki University hospital and Hakodate Watanabe hospital; 18 patients in 80-99 yr (Group 1) and 18 patients in 40-59 yr (Group 2) and 7 patients (Group A) with and 12 patients (Group B) without Alzheimer's dementia (AD) aged 60-79 yr.
Results:
The increase in plasma norepinephrine level (274%) of group 1 patients, 15 min after skin incision was higher than that in group 2 (191%) (P < 0.01). Mean plasma cortisol levels (40.4+/-4.7 and 44.1+/-5.2 microg x dl(-1)) of group 1, 15 min after skin incision and 60 min after the end of surgery were significantly higher than the 29.8+/-3.5 and 22.3+/-3.0 microg x dl(-1) of group 2 (P < 0.05). Plasma norepinephrine (1092.9+/-112.0 pg x ml(-1)) and cortisol concentrations (53.4+/-5.8 microg x dl(-1)) in group A were higher than in group B (772.6+/-82.4 pg x ml(-1) and 41.7+/-4.3 microg x dl(-1)) 15 min after skin incision (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Plasma norepinephrine and cortisol responses to surgical stress are activated in elderly patients and in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
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