Abstract
To prevent hypertension and tachycardia during tracheal intubation, we evaluated the effects of two different types of calcium-antagonists, diltiazem and nicardipine, on patients with a bispectral index of around 40, an adequatety sedate condition. Sixty-two OB-GYN patients were randomly assigned into three groups, the propofol-alone induction group (P), the propofol+diltiazem induction group (P+D) and the propofol+nicardipine induction group (P+N). The bispectral index during tracheal intubation was maintained at below forty in all patients, which indicated an adequately sedate condition.
The mean blood pressure in all three groups significantly increased after tracheal incubation compared to just before intubation. Among the groups, the mean blood pressure after intubation was significantly higher in the P group compared to the other two groups. The heart rate after intubation increased significantly in the P+D and P+N groups compared to before intubation. Sedation induced by propofol, diltiazem or nicardipine might cause excessive depression of the sympathetic responses for tracheal intubation, at which point compensatory tachycardia might be exaggerated in the P+D and P+N groups.
