[Differential effects of isoflurane, sevoflurane and halothane on autonomic function determined by spectral analysis...

The effects of isoflurane, sevoflurane and halothane on heart rate variability were studied in 18 patients scheduled for minor otolaryngeal surgery. After the surgery, R-R intervals were determined at minimum alveolar concentrations of 2.0, 1.5, 1.0 and 0.5 under mechanical ventilation. The data were plotted on a one-dimensional map and analyzed further by autoregressive spectral analysis. All three anesthetics suppressed both the low frequency component (Mayer wave related sinus arrhythmia; MWSA) and the high frequency component (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA). The MWSA reflecting sympathetic activity was less affected by sevoflurane while the RSA reflecting parasympathetic function was less influenced by halothane. The one-dimensional map was useful to visualize the depth of anesthesia.