[Clinical study on hypotensive anesthesia with nitroglycerin]

Deliberate hypotension was induced by using nitroglycerin (NG) during anesthesia in 13 patients with intracranial aneurysm, who underwent clipping surgery. The following results were obtained: Changes in blood pressure were rapid and smooth, before, during and after administration of NG. No patients showed resistance to the drug in this study. Heart rate increased significantly during induced hypotension while a significant reduction was observed in the rate-pressure product (RPP), which correlates with the myocardial oxygen demand. No significant changes were found in pH, PaO2, PaCO2 and base excess (B. E.) while the respiratory index (PaO2/FIO2) as an indicator of pulmonary oxygenation appeared to be significantly reduced.