[The effect of the induction of anesthesia on human cardiac activity]

The authors studied the effect of intravenous induction with thiopental, myorelaxant and subsequent laryngoscopy and intubation on cardiac rhythm, Q-T interval and cardiac stroke volume in children without accompanying diseases. Cardiac dysrhythmias in adults have been reported in the literature; low fentanil doses have been recommended for their suppression. Thirty five children (20 of them younger than 10 years and 15-10 to 14 years of age) were tested in five stages. Records were taken of ECG, impedance cardiography by the method of Kubicek; the stroke volume, the duration of the Q-T interval and the cardiac rate were estimated. Children younger than 10 had no dysrhythmia during the induction in anesthesia, which made unnecessary prophylactic administration of low fentanil doses. More pronounced were the changes in the Q-T interval and the stroke volume in the age group beyond 10; one child in this group had dysrhythmia as well.