[Amrinone reverses cardiac depression by enflurane in the dog]

To evaluate the interaction of amrinone with inhalational anesthetics, cardiovascular effects of amrinone were investigated in nine mongrel dogs anesthetized with enflurane. Each dog received enflurane and amrinone in the following sequence: 1) 2% enflurane alone, 2) continuous infusion of 20 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 during enflurane, 3) 40 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 infusion during enflurane. Amrinone 40 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 during enflurane anesthesia improved the maximum left ventricular dP/dt, stroke volume and decreased effective arterial elastance (Ea) without changes in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and heart rate. Left ventricular pressure (LVP) and systolic femoral arterial pressure were stable, but diastolic femoral arterial pressure decreased significantly from enflurane anesthesia alone. These parameters at 20 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 of amrinone infusion during enflurane showed the same tendency with 40 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 infusion but not significantly different from enflurane alone. This result suggests that amrinone may be beneficial in the patients with depression of cardiac performance during anesthesia.