Circulatory responses to thiopentone and tracheal intubation in patients with coronary artery disease: Effects of pretreatment with labetalol

Abstract

The haemodynamic responses to induction and tracheal intubation have been studied in patients with coronary artery disease randomly assigned to a labetalol pretreatment group (n = 14) or to a placebo group (n = 16). Twelve hour before operation, treated patients received a bolus dose of labetalol 0.5 mg kg'1 followed by a constant infusion of 0.1 mg kg-1 h-1 i.v. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and phenoperidine, and intubation performed following the administration of suxamethonium. At intubation, the changes in heart rate (P < 0.01), mean arterial pressure (P < 0.05) and rate-pressure product (P < 0.01) were significantly smaller in the labetalol group compared with the placebo group. Labetalol pretreatment appears satisfactory and may be useful in patients with coronary artery disease who have a normal left ventricular ejection fraction. © 1985 British Journal of Anaesthesia.