Haemodynamic and neurohumoral effects of xenon anaesthesia. A comparison with nitrous oxide

Thirty-two patients were randomly allocated to be anaesthetised either with nitrous oxide or xenon. Those who received nitrous oxide required significantly more fentanyl peroperatively. Arterial blood pressure and heart rate were adequately controlled during surgery in both groups. Plasma noradrenaline and prolactin increased peroperatively in both groups, but plasma adrenaline and cortisol, which increased in the nitrous oxide group, did not change in the xenon group. Growth hormone was below control in those given xenon, but not in the nitrous oxide group, while dopamine remained unchanged in both groups. Postoperative plasma concentrations of noradrenaline, adrenaline, cortisol and prolactin (in both groups) and dopamine (in the nitrous oxide group) were elevated, and slowly returned to control. No differences were seen between the two gases in effects on plasma sodium and potassium. Xenon, because of its favourable haemodynamic, neurohumoral and antinociceptive properties, deserves a more prominent place in anaesthetic practice than it has so far occupied.