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Peripheral blood flow in the elderly during inhalational anaesthesia
Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Aging impacts peripheral vascular responses to inhaled anesthetics. Young patients maintain forearm blood flow with isoflurane/nitrous oxide, unlike elderly patients. Halothane/nitrous oxide reduced flow in all age groups.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
Background:
- Inhaled anesthetics can affect peripheral vascular tone.
- Aging may alter the physiological responses to anesthetic agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of aging on the peripheral vascular effects of isoflurane and halothane combined with nitrous oxide.
Main Methods:
- Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured using venous occlusion plethysmography in young and elderly patients.
- Patients received either isoflurane or halothane with 66% nitrous oxide (N2O) in oxygen (O2).
- Anesthesia was induced with etomidate and maintained with controlled ventilation.
Main Results:
- Etomidate decreased FBF in both groups; intubation restored FBF in young but not elderly patients.
- Halothane/N2O decreased FBF in both young and elderly patients.
- Isoflurane/N2O maintained FBF in young patients but decreased it in elderly patients.
Conclusions:
- Forearm perfusion is maintained in young individuals but not in the elderly during isoflurane/N2O anesthesia.
- Halothane/N2O anesthesia reduces forearm perfusion in both young and elderly patients.
- Cardiovascular effects of isoflurane/N2O and halothane/N2O did not significantly differ in elderly patients.