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[Effect of propofol and etomidate for anesthesia induction on plasma total cortisol concentration]
1Department of Anesthesiology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS, PUMC, Beijing 100730, China. zhangyajun@hotmail.com
Objective:
To investigate the effect of propofol and etomidate for anesthesia induction on adrenocortical function.
Methods:
The plasma total cortisol concentration was determined in 20 patients who were treated with propofol or etomidate.
Results:
After propofol induction, the plasma total cortisol level decreased from (308.7 +/- 27.4) nmol/L to (267.7 +/- 31.2) nmol/L at post-medication 2 hours, increased to (400.2 +/- 26.9) nmol/L at postmedication 5 hours and restored to premedication level at postmedication 24 hours [(306.4 +/- 35.4) nmol/L]. After etomidate induction, the plasma total cortisol level decreased from (309.1 +/- 36.6) nmol/L to (115.9 +/- 29.7) nmol/L at postmedication 2 hours, maintained (171.1 +/- 34.7) nmol/L at postmedication 5 hours and restored to premedication level at postmedication 24 hours [(311.8 +/- 46.2) nmol/L].
Conclusions:
Propofol induction has little effect on adrenocortical function whereas etomidate induction inhibits adrenocortical function.