[Mean equipotent blood pressure-lowering concentrations of halothane, isoflurane and enflurane during balanced...

Balanced anesthesia is a technique that allows control of blood pressure in patients with coronary artery disease. In order to evaluate the relative requirements of volatile anesthetics during basic opioid analgesia, 51 patients with unimpaired left ventricular function who were undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting during balanced anesthesia were investigated. They were randomly assigned to three groups, i.e. halothane (H), isoflurane (I), and enflurane (E). Permanent medications were maintained up to 12 h preoperatively. After premedication with flunitrazepam, promethazine and piritramide, anesthesia was induced with 7 micrograms/kg fentanyl, 0.3 mg/kg etomidate, and 0.1 mg/kg pancuronium and continued with fentanyl infusion (0.1 microgram/kg-1 min-1). Volatile anesthetics were applied in oxygen/air and adjusted to keep the mean arterial blood pressure within +/- 20% of the preoperative value. End-expiratory concentrations of volatile anesthetics were measured (Capnomac, DATEX) and averaged over time. The mean ages of the patients in the different groups were 60 +/- 7.6 years (H), 59 +/- 7.1 years (I), and 60 +/- 6.9 years (E). Four patients in the halothane group, six in the isoflurane group, and five in the enflurane group took beta-blockers preoperatively. The cumulative doses of fentanyl were: H = 0.80 +/- 0.17 mg, I = 0.85 +/- 0.16 mg, and E = 0.83 +/- 0.16 mg at the time of skin incision and H = 1.20 +/- 0.26 mg, I = 1.38 +/- 0.19 mg, and E = 1.24 +/- 0.25 mg at the beginning of extracorporeal circulation.2+ which are possibly the reason for the high O2-MAC value, which may be abolished during balanced anesthesia. However, both the negative inotropic and the vasodilatory effects of enflurane are more likely explanations for the results. It is concluded that 0.5 to 1.0 MAC of halothane, isoflurane, or enflurane used as equipotent components of balanced anesthesia for blood pressure control during aorto-coronary bypass grafting may differ considerably from the conventional MAC concept.