Circulatory responses to midazolam anesthesia: emphasis on canine splanchnic circulation

Experiments were performed on nine dogs instrumented with pulmonary artery Swan-Ganz catheters and catheters placed into the distal aorta and posterior caval vein. Electromagnetic flowmeter probes were placed around the portal vein and hepatic artery, and the portal vein was cannulated. A week later, systemic and splanchnic circulatory variables were studied before and after 10 mg/kg of midazolam given intravenously. Three minutes after injection, heart rate increased 26% (P less than 0.006), cardiac index decreased 15% (P less than 0.001), portal flow increased 19% (P greater than 0.05), and hepatic arterial flow decreased slightly (P less than 0.002). Later, portal blood flow decreased 17% below baseline values (P less than 0.006). The biphasic response of portal blood flow to midazolam is probably related to redistribution of blood within the splanchnic system (blood mobilization from spleen and intestine). It is suggested that because maintenance of cardiac output during midazolam anesthesia depends on compensatory mechanisms, failure to increase cardiac output with compensatory increases in heart rate, contractility, and blood volume mobilization from the splanchnic circulation could result in decreased cardiac output.