Effects of fentanyl-diazepam-pancuronium anesthesia on heart rate variability: a spectral analysis

The effects of induction of anesthesia with fentanyl, 62.1 +/- 7.9 micrograms/kg, diazepam, 0.21 +/- 0.08 mg/kg, and pancuronium on beat-to-beat heart rate variations were studied in seven patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Spectral analysis was used to determine the intensity of the variations in each of the two main frequency bands in which variations are known to occur: (1) high-frequency band, mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system, at the frequency band of respiration, and (2) the low-frequency band, mediated by both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, at 0.04-0.12 Hz. Both the mean low- and high-frequency band areas were significantly decreased after induction of anesthesia. The ratio of high-to-low frequency band areas increased significantly after induction of anesthesia, from 45% to 62% (P less than 0.05). These results suggest that fentanyl-diazepam-pancuronium anesthesia decreases total autonomic nervous system activity and alters the balance between parasympathetic and sympathetic activities. Thus, spectral analysis of heart rate variations during anesthesia may provide a quantitative measure of assessing the activity of the autonomic nervous system.