Cardiopulmonary effects of desflurane in cats

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the cardiopulmonary effects of 2 anesthetic planes of desflurane (DES) during spontaneous ventilation (SV) and controlled ventilation (CV) in cats.

Design: Repeated Latin square.

Animals: Eight healthy adult cats.

Procedure: Each cat received 1.3 times the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of DES and 1.7 MAC of DES in oxygen during CV and SV. The data were analyzed as a repeated measures design. Heart rate, cardiac output, arterial blood pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, respiratory rate, PaO2, PaCO2, pHa, PCV, and serum total protein concentration were measured during each treatment. Stroke volume, cardiac index, total peripheral resistance, and oxygen consumption were calculated.

Results: Cardiac index and stroke volume were not different between 1.3 and 1.7 MAC of DES, but CV decreased cardiac index and stroke volume (P < 0.05). Systolic arterial pressure was decreased during 1.7 MAC of DES and during CV. Mean arterial blood pressure was decreased at 1.7 MAC during CV, but not SV. The PaCO2 was higher at 1.7 MAC than at 1.3 MAC during SV. Spontaneously ventilating cats at 1.7 MAC had higher pulmonary artery pressures than other treatments. The PCV was decreased during CV.

Conclusion: 1.7 MAC of DES causes decreased systolic and mean arterial pressures and marked hypercapnia, but cardiac index is not affected. The hypercapnia is probably responsible for the increased pulmonary artery pressures in the spontaneously ventilating cats during 1.7 MAC. Hypercapnia can be corrected by CV but this reduces cardiac output.