Hormonal and metabolic responses to cardiac surgery with sufentanil-oxygen anaesthesia

The effects of sufentanil, 10 and 20 micrograms kg-1 on the hormonal and metabolic responses to coronary artery surgery were compared in 20 patients. The most important finding was that the changes in circulating beta-endorphin, ACTH, cortisol, GH, glucose, lactate and glycerol concentrations during and after cardiac surgery were similar with both doses of sufentanil. Although sufentanil prevented a significant increase in plasma beta-endorphin, ACTH and cortisol values until 6 h after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), a significant increase in GH secretion occurred with the onset of CPB. Plasma insulin concentrations declined significantly after 30 min CPB, but recovered after 60 min CPB with the restoration of normothermia. Blood glucose values did not change during surgery before CPB, but started to rise with the onset of CPB and continued to increase significantly in the postoperative period. Changes in blood lactate and plasma glycerol concentrations primarily reflected the load of CPB and the effects of heparin, respectively. The results show that increasing the dose of sufentanil up to 20 micrograms kg-1 does not result in better suppression of the endocrine and metabolic changes associated with cardiac surgery.