Haemodynamic effects of irrigating fluids studied by Doppler ultrasonography in volunteers

To study whether moderate amounts of irrigating fluids induce cardiac stress when infused into healthy volunteers, giving special attention to solutions containing ethanol as a tracer of absorption.

Over a period of 20 min, 15 mL/kg of glycine (1% or 1.5%) or 3% mannitol (all containing 1% ethanol) or sorbitol 2%-mannitol 1% (with no ethanol) were infused intravenously into 10 healthy male volunteers. The central haemodynamic responses were studied using Doppler ultrasonography.

Specific and general haemodynamic responses were observed. After infusing glycine there was a reduction of the heart rate and in cardiac output and an elevation of mean arterial pressure, indicating an increase in systemic resistance. There was no improvement when the glycine content was reduced from 1.5% to 1.0%. Furthermore, infusion of all irrigating fluids was associated with a decrease in cardiac output 30 min after the infusion. Almost identical breath-ethanol curves were obtained with the three fluids containing ethanol and all of them caused slight hypoglycaemia. There was no evidence of ethanol-induced tachycardia.

Irrigating fluids containing glycine and ethanol have a specific haemodynamic effect not occurring with solutions containing mannitol or sorbitol.