Related Experiment Videos
[Changes in plasma zinc under anesthesia and surgery (author's transl)]
Der Anaesthesist
|November 1, 1981
Summary
Postoperative hypozincemia, a common finding, is not caused by zinc dissociation from plasma proteins. Increased renal zinc excretion during surgery is observed, but its cause remains unknown.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Clinical Medicine
- Physiology
Context:
- Postoperative hypozincemia is frequently observed.
- Hypozincemia may be linked to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-induced zinc dissociation from plasma albumin.
- Rapidly developing hypozincemia can result from plasma protein dilution due to zinc's high protein-bound fraction.
Purpose:
- To investigate the cause of postoperative hypozincemia.
- To determine if zinc dissociates from plasma proteins during anesthesia and surgery.
- To examine the relationship between plasma zinc, plasma proteins, and renal zinc excretion.
Summary:
- During middle ear surgery and laparotomies under neurolept anesthesia (NLA), no evidence of zinc dissociation from plasma proteins was found.
- Hypozincemia, potentially stress-induced, was observed within the first postoperative hour after laparotomies.
- A significant increase in renal zinc excretion occurred during anesthesia and surgery, with the underlying cause unidentified.
Impact:
- Challenges the interpretation of postoperative hypozincemia as solely ACTH-induced zinc dissociation.
- Highlights the role of plasma protein dilution in postoperative hypozincemia.
- Identifies increased renal zinc excretion as a significant factor during surgery, warranting further investigation.