Effects of Enflurane on Coronary Haemodynamics in Patients with Ischaemic Heart Disease

The effects of enflurane with and without nitrous oxide on coronary haemodynamics and myocardial oxygenation were investigated in 11 patients with generalised atherosclerotic disease. Enflurane decreased systemic blood pressure (-50%) mainly by systemic vasodilation (SVR -41%) and to a lesser degree by impairment of cardiac performance (CO -27%). A change from 1MAC enflurane-nitrogen-oxygen (70/30) to 1MAC enflurane-nitrous oxide-oxygen (70/30) decreased blood pressure and cardiac output further (-16% and -14%). Enflurane-nitrogen-oxygen decreased coronary blood flow (-29%) and perfusion pressure (-47%). Coronary vascular resistance fell (-20%) along with decreases in myocardial oxygen consumption and extraction (-40% and -16%). Regional coronary blood flow measurements in four of the patients revealed maldistribution of blood flow. During enflurane-nitrous oxide-oxygen, myocardial oxygen consumption and extraction decreased further (-29% and -12%) without change in coronary blood flow or resistance. Myocardial ischaemia was observed in four patients during enflurane-nitrogen. During enflurane-nitrous oxide, ischaemia disappeared in two of the previously ischaemic patients and appeared in two not previously ischaemic. The regional blood flow maldistribution was abolished with nitrous oxide. It is concluded that enflurane is a powerful coronary vasodilator and in this respect slightly less potent than isoflurane. Enflurane may induce myocardial ischaemia by redistributing coronary blood flow and/or by producing hypotension. Nitrous oxide added to enflurane depresses cardiac function and augments the coronary vasodilatory effect of enflurane to a level at which coronary blood flow becomes totally pressure dependent.