Atrial natriuretic peptide responses during anaesthesia in patients with refractory cardiomyopathies

In patients with congestive heart failure, the release of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is decreased. This study sought to determine the extent of ANP, sympathetic and haemodynamic responses to acutely increased atrial pressure in patients with cardiomyopathies undergoing orthotopic cardiac transplantation. Haemodynamic variables, plasma ANP, norepinephrine, and epinephrine concentrations were measured in 17 patients at five times before and after induction of anaesthesia using either ketamine 1.5 micrograms.kg-1 or sufentanil 3.6 +/- 0.3 micrograms.kg-1. Preinduction values in the ketamine and sufentanil groups were not significantly different. Compared with preinduction values, increases in mean arterial pressure (26%), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (90%), right atrial pressure (107%), and heart rate (24%) occurred in the ketamine group while cardiac index decreased by 19% (P less than 0.05). Haemodynamic variables in the sufentanil group did not change at any of the times studied. Plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide were not different within or between treatment groups. Following tracheal intubation plasma norepinephrine levels increased by 116% in the ketamine group (P less than 0.05), but did not change in the sufentanil group. Plasma norepinephrine concentrations differed significantly between the ketamine and sufentanil groups. There were no differences in epinephrine concentrations in either group. Despite the anticipated haemodynamic and catecholamine differences found between the ketamine and sufentanil groups, the levels of plasma ANP were similar. Based upon these results, it is concluded that ANP exerts little influence in the control of fluid volume or blood pressure in patients with refractory cardiomyopathy.