Haemodynamic Effects of Ethanol Immediately after Open-Heart Surgery of the Mitral Valve:A Clinical Study Peroperatively and in the Early Postoperative Period

The haemodynamic effects of intravenous (i.v.) ethanol were studied in 8 patients (group II) in the early stages after open-heart surgery of the mitral valve. A group of 7 patients not treated with ethanol (group I) served as controls (Klingen et al., 1978 a). Continuous i.v. infusion of ethanol was started after termination of bypass and was given for 6 hours postoperatively with a blood concentration of about 20 mmol/1. The following reactions in group II during the postoperative period differed from the course in group I and may therefore have constituted the effects of ethanol administration. The arterial systemic blood pressure and the heart rate were lower (P < 0.05). The total peripheral vascular resistance was lower, lying at a normal level (P < 0.001). The pulmonary vascular resistance was lower (P < 0.05), cardiac index higher (P < 0.05) and stroke index also higher (P < 0.01). The left and right ventricular stroke work indices were higher, due solely to the significantly higher flow, as the systemic blood pressure was significantly lower. These results indicate that ethanol has a favourable haemodynamic effect on patients with a myocardial functional disturbance in the early stages following mitral valve surgery. Ethanol acts as an analgesic without depressing the respiration. As administration of ethanol was not associated with any complications in the present study, it is conceivable that patients can be disconnected from the respirator postoperatively at an earlier stage with ethanol therapy.