JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS
AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
A&A International Anesthesia Research Society
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Anesth Analg 1977; 56:378-386
© 1977 International Anesthesia Research Society
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a colleague
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by ATLEE, J. L.
Right arrow Articles by ALEXANDER, S. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by ATLEE, J. L., III
Right arrow Articles by ALEXANDER, S. C.

Halothane Effects on Conductivity of the AV Node and His-Purkinje System in the Dog

JOHN L. ATLEE, III, MD*, and S. CRAIGHEAD ALEXANDER, MD{dagger}

*Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53706. {dagger}Professor and Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.

Abstract

His-bundle electrocardiography was used to evaluate the effect of halothane on AV nodal and His-Purkinje system conduction times in the spontaneously beating dog heart. During atrial pacing at basic heart rates of 120 or 200 beats per minute (bpm), an extrastimulus (cycle length longer or shorter than that of the basic rate) was delivered to test the effect of halothane on several parameters of AV nodal conductivity. Included were the functional refractory period, basal conduction time, and fatigue effect (prolongation of basal conduction time as heart rate was increased from 120 to 200 bpm). Increasing MAC level of halothane (1.25 to 2.75 MAC) prolonged both AV node and His-Purkinje conduction times, yet had little effect on the parameters of nodal conductivity tested for. These effects of halothane could be potentially dangerous in the clinical setting for patients with defective AV conduction. In addition, changes in conduction may be in part responsible for arrhythmias seen during halothane anesthesia.






Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999 HighWire Press
Copyright © 1977 by the International Anesthesia Research Society.