[The cardiovascular creed of the anesthesiologist]

The response of the organism to acute aggression takes place with the intervention of the sympathetic nervous system which, by massive action, prepares the individual for combat or flight. These two actions cause vasodilation in the skeletal muscles, thus provoking a drop in peripheral resistance as a reaction to increased cardiac output. Surgery itself constitutes an aggression and, in principle, the anaesthesiologist ought to respect this physiological cardiovascular example and maintain the heart in work-volume regimen.