[Anesthesia procedure and postoperative ADH secretion]

Abstract

44 patients undergoing major abdominal and thoracic surgery received different anaesthetic treatment and different pain therapy during the postoperative period (4 groups). Analysis of plasma vasopressin was performed in all patients pre-, intra- and five days postoperatively. In two groups of patients under neuroleptanalgesia (group A and B) ADH-levels increased markedly during the operation procedure, whereas those of patients under NLA plus epidural analgesia with bupivacaine 0.5% (group C and D) showed only a slight increase intraoperatively. During the postoperative period pain relief was provided by giving fentanyl epidurally (group B and D) or with systemic administration of piritramide (group A and C). During the investigation period vasopressin secretion in patients under epidural opiate therapy was significantly less pronounced as in patients under systemic opiate therapy.