Abstract
The present study was undertaken to examine the electrophysiologic effects of nitrous oxide in the dog heart after inducing myocardial infarction, and to compare these with those of other anesthetics. Myocardial infarction was produced by two-stage ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in dogs. Seven days after ligation, bipolar electrodes were sutured on the ventricular surface of the infarcted and normal regions for applying electrical stimulation or recording ventricular activation. Ventricular activation time and QT interval on the bipolar electro-cardiogram and PQ interval from the standard limb lead II were measured during atrial pacing. Nitrous oxide 80% did not significantly prolong ventricular activation time, PQ interval or QT interval. However, halothane 1 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), thiopental 5 and 10 mg/kg and fentanyl 30 μg/kg did prolong ventricular activation time; thiopental and fentanyl prolonged the QT interval. Nitrous oxide did not potentiate the effects of fentanyl. Therefore, electrophysiologic effects of nitrous oxide are much weaker compared with those of thiopental, fentanyl or halothane.
