[Hemodynamic interferences between diltiazem and thiopental--experimental study in the pig]

The clinical applications of calcium channel blockers are rapidly growing; as barbiturates interfere with intracellular calcium movements, the possibility of drug interaction at this level must be considered. We have studied the haemodynamic interaction of Thiopentone and Diltiazem in pigs. A loading dose of Diltiazem (0.15 mg X kg-1) was injected followed by a continuous administration of 0.07 mg X kg-1 X hour. From the fifth to the tenth minute, the reduced afterload was associated with a moderate depression of the contractility of the left ventricle. These values returned to the initial level within 30 minutes. Heart rate and cardiac output were not modified. The stability of these two parameters is thought to result from the complex interaction of both drugs on the sympathetic nervous system and the ventricular function.