Haemodynamic changes with the administration of nitrous oxide during coronary artery surgery

Haemodynamic responses to 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen during coronary artery surgery were investigated in 10 patients. Morphine, diazepam and pancuronium were given intravenously as both induction and maintenance anaesthesia. A significant decrease was seen in heart rate, arterial pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, heart rate-systolic arterial pressure product, peripheral vascular resistance, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, dP/dT of the left ventricle and resistance as measured in the graft to the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). No variations occurred in cardiac output, stroke volume, flow in the LAD-graft, pulmonary artery pressure or heart rate-systolic pulmonary artery pressure product or in dP/dT of the right ventricle. Pulmonary vascular resistance increased. It was concluded that left ventricular performance did not decrease and that no deterioration of the oxygenation to the myocardium seemed to occur.