title: Long-term beta-receptor blockade--adrenergic and metabolic response to surgery and neurolept anaesthesia.
abstract: Twenty-six patients on chronic (greater than 3 months) beta-receptor blocking therapy due to ischaemic heart disease and/or hypertension were randomly distributed to a 4-day gradual withdrawal (n = 13) or a continuation of ordinary therapy until a planned cholecystectomy under neurolept anaesthesia (n = 13). Plasma-adrenaline, -noradrenaline, -potassium, -glycerol, -FFA, -insulin and b-glucose were determined perioperatively. The metabolic response to surgery was as expected with hyperglycaemia and depressed insulin levels, which did not differ significantly between the two groups of patients. Plasma-catecholamines showed the highest mean values during emergence from anaesthesia. Plasma-adrenaline and -potassium were constantly highest in the beta-receptor-blocked patients, who also showed indices of a relatively depressed lipolysis compared to patients in whom beta-receptor blockers had been withdrawn. These discrepancies between withdrawal versus continuation of preoperative beta-receptor blockade seemed to be of small clinical importance and did not oppose the present view that beta-receptor blockers should generally be continued during surgery. However, findings in individual patients suggest that beta-receptor blockade may maintain hypoglycaemia in catabolic patients.
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood*; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009458:Neuroleptanalgesia; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002395:Catecholamines; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D005990:Glycerol; D011188:Potassium