Halothane‐Relaxant Anaesthesia in Elderly Patients

Abstract

Twenty-three elderly patients, scheduled for elective cholecystectomy, were studied during halothane-relaxant anaesthesia. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and maintained with halothane in 12 patients, six of whom had also received premedication. Eleven patients were anaesthetized with halothane, without thiopentone induction and with no premedication. Measurements of central haemodynamics were performed awake and during anaesthesia at end-tidal halothane concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0%; at the lower concentration, measurements were also made after addition of nitrous oxide. Premedication and thiopentone had no influence on the subsequent halothane anaesthesia. Halothane caused reductions of cardiac index, mean arterial blood pressure and oxygen uptake. However, neither right atrial nor pulmonary capillary venous pressure increased and the arterio-venous oxygen content difference decreased. These findings differ from those made by others in younger subjects and are probably attributable to a dose-dependent reduction in systemic vascular resistance. The addition of nitrous oxide had only minor effects on central circulation. The results suggest that the age of the patients influences their reaction to halothane anaesthesia.

Splanchnic blood flow during halothane‐relaxant anaesthesia in elderly patients

“…In the smaller group of patients studied in the present investigation similar observations were made. The mean reduction of cardiac output, however, was smaller than is usually reported during halothane anaesthesia (1,2).…”

Vascular Aging and Hemodynamic Stability in the Intraoperative Period

“…Because cardiac and vascular function are in many ways compromised with aging, the circulatory effects of anesthetics are exacerbated in the elderly (Tokics et al, 1985). Given the emphasis of the present review, we focus on the vascular effects of two primary classes of general anesthetics: inhalational and intravenous.…”