The effects of prolonged low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia on renal and hepatic function

We assessed the effects of prolonged low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia on renal and hepatic functions by comparing high-flow sevoflurane with low-flow isoflurane anesthesia. Thirty patients scheduled for surgery of > or =10 h in duration randomly received either low-flow (1 L/min) sevoflurane anesthesia (n = 10), high-flow (6-10 L/min) sevoflurane anesthesia (n = 10), or low-flow (1 L/min) isoflurane anesthesia (n = 10). We measured the circuit concentrations of Compound A and serum fluoride. Renal function was assessed by blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, and urinary excretion of glucose, albumin, protein, and N:-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. The hepatic function was assessed by serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin. Compound A exposure was 277 +/- 120 (135-478) ppm-h (mean +/- SD [range]) in the low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia. The maximum concentration of serum fluoride was 53.6 +/- 5.3 (43.4-59.3) micromol/L for the low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia, 47.1 +/- 21.2 (21.4-82.3) micromol/L for the high-flow sevoflurane anesthesia, and 7.4 +/- 3.2 (3.2-14.0) micromol/L for the low-flow isoflurane anesthesia. Blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were within the normal range, and creatinine clearance did not decrease throughout the study period in any group. Urinary excretion of glucose, albumin, protein, and N:-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase increased after anesthesia in all groups, but no significant differences were seen among the three groups at any time point after anesthesia. Lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase on postanesthesia Day 1 were higher in the high-flow sevoflurane group than in the low-flow sevoflurane group. However, there were no significant differences in any other hepatic function tests among the groups. We conclude that prolonged low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia has the same effect on renal and hepatic functions as high-flow sevoflurane and low-flow isoflurane anesthesia.

During low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia, intake of Compound A reached 277 +/- 120 ppm-h, but the effect on the kidney and the liver was the same in high-flow sevoflurane and low-flow isoflurane anesthesia.