[Effect of diltiazem on jugular bulb oxygen saturation (SjO2)]

We investigated the effect of diltiazem on jugular bulb oxygen saturation (SjO2) in patients undergoing superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis. In the presence of stable vital signs, diltiazem was administered by continuous infusion (2 micrograms.kg-1.min-1). There was no significant change in blood pressure, heart rate, SjO2 in response to diltiazem administration. The arterial plasma concentration of diltiazem reached 75 +/- 14.2 ng.ml-1 after 180 min. The difference of areas under the curve between the arterial and jugular venous diltiazem concentrations from start of infusion to the end was significant. We conclude that this dose of diltiazem produced effective concentration and uptake in the brain tissue, but produced no significant effect on jugular bulb oxygen saturation (SjO2).