JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Royster, R. L. Articles by Prough, D. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Royster, R. L. Articles by Prough, D. S.

Cardiac Electrophysiologic Effects of Fentanyl and Combinations of Fentanyl and Neuromuscular Relaxants in Pentobarbital–Anesthetized Dogs

Received from the Departments of Anesthesiology and Medicine, The Wake Forest University Medical Center, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, and the Department of Anesthesia, Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Abstract

The effects of fentanyl, both alone and in combination with pancuronium bromide or succinylcholine, on atrioventricular (AV) node and ventricular conduction times and refractory periods were studied. Twenty-four pentobarbitalanesthetized dogs were instrumented both with an intraaortic catheter to measure cardiac conduction times and, through a thoracotomy, with atrial and ventricular epicardial pacing electrodes to provide premature stimulation that would allow measurement of atrial and ventricular refractoriness. Fentanyl prolonged the RR interval in both low- (100 µg/kg) and high-dose (400 µg/kg) groups by 26 and 45%, respectively, and prolonged AV node conduction time by 28 and 25%, respectively. During atrial pacing at a rate sufficient to capture the atria, AV node conduction time lengthened in the low- and high-dose groups by 27 and 25%, respectively. Fentanyl also significantly lengthened AV node effective and functional refractory periods and ventricular effective refract0 y periods in both groups. Pancuronium (0.1 mg/kg) administered after fentanyl shortened RR intervals in the low- and high-dose groups by 14 and 22% respectively, and shortened AV conduction times by 18 and 20%, respectively, but did not restore all values to baseline. Pancuronium significantly shortened AV node refractory periods in the low-dose but not the high-dose group. When administered after fentanyl, succinylcholine (2 mg/kg) significantly shortened the RR interval in the low- and high-dose groups by 14 and 12%, respectively. Succinylcholine shortened AV node conduction slightly but without significance and had no effect on cardiac refractoriness. His-Purkinje conduction remained unaffected by any drug intervention. These data demonstrate that fentanyl depresses cardiac conduction; subsequent administration of pancuronium and succinylcholine partially reverses this effect.

Key Words: ANESTHETICS, INTRAVENOUS—fentanyl • HEART—electrophysiology • NEUROMUSCULAR RELAXANTS—pancuronium, succinylcholine

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Holm, R. Johansson, B. Smideberg, C. Luhrs, and S.B. Olsson Effect of cardiac exposure by median sternotomy on atrial fibrillation cycle length Europace, January 1, 1999; 1(4): 248 - 257. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. D. Swenson and P. L. Bailey Opioids in Cardiovascular Anesthesia Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, July 1, 1997; 1(2): 146 - 163. [PDF]

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