Nifedipine attenuates the intraocular pressure response to intubation following succinylcholine

Forty patients without eye disease, undergoing elective nonophthalmic surgery, were studied to evaluate the efficacy of sublingual nifedipine in attenuating the intraocular pressure response to succinylcholine administration, laryngoscopy and intubation. The patients were randomly given either nifedipine 10 mg or placebo sublingually 20 minutes before induction of anaesthesia. Intraocular pressure (IOP) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were recorded before and after induction of anaesthesia. The IOP response to succinylcholine administration, laryngoscopy and intubation was significantly less in patients receiving nifedipine (P less than 0.01). The mean maximum rise in IOP above basal level at one minute post-intubation was 7.82 mmHg in the control group compared with 0.15 mmHg in the nifedipine pre-treated group. These results suggest that sublingual nifedipine is effective in attenuating the IOP response after succinylcholine administration, laryngoscopy and intubation.