[Endocrine reaction pattern in abdominal surgical patients as affected by isoflurane anesthesia]

The effects of isoflurane anaesthesia on the per- and postoperative change in blood concentrations of aldosterone, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, insulin, prolactin, thyroxine, t3-uptake, epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, glucose, FFS, lactate, and pyruvate were investigated in connection with major abdominal surgery. Contrary to prolactin levels (8.42 +/- 1.71 ng/ml----46.25 +/- 6.78 ng/ml; p less than 0.001) the plasma concentrations of the adrenal steroids aldosterone, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone sank initially after induction of anaesthesia with thiopentone. However, after skin incision the levels of aldosterone (49.9 +/- 11.6 pg/ml----202.1 +/- 57.6 pg/ml; p less than 0.01), cortisol (16.7 +/- 2.57 ng/dl----25.2 +/- 3.72 ng/dl; p less than 0.01) and DHEA (2.70 +/- 0.99 ng/ml----5.02 +/- 1.03 ng/ml; p less than 0.05) rose significantly. Generally, plasma insulin was not markedly influenced by isoflurane anaesthesia and surgery. No significant alterations in plasma catecholamine concentrations were observed.