title: Beta-receptor blocker withdrawal. A preoperative problem in general surgery?
abstract: A prospective randomized study was performed in 91 patients scheduled for general surgery on 99 occasions. The patients were chronically (greater than 3 months) treated with beta-receptor blockers because of ischaemic heart disease and/or hypertension and the beta-receptor blockade was either gradually withdrawn (n = 51) during 4 days preoperatively or continued until surgery (n = 48). The effects on arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and rate-pressure product (RPP) at rest and the incidence of chest pain during daily activities were registered. A withdrawal of the beta-receptor blockade was associated with increases of HR (in eight patients greater than 30 beats min-1) and RPP and in patients treated for hypertension there were also increases of systolic and diastolic BP (in five patients greater than or equal to 30/15 mmHg). Patients who continued the beta-receptor blockade until surgery showed no changes. Nine out of 23 patients with a previous history of ischaemic heart disease had an increase of chest pain after withdrawal of the beta-receptor blockers, whereas none of the corresponding 25 patients who continued the therapy suffered from an increased chest pain. Due to the severity of symptoms after beta-receptor blocker withdrawal, surgery had to be postponed in 4 patients. The observations suggest that a 4-day preoperative withdrawal of long-term beta-receptor blockade is potentially hazardous in ischaemic and/or hypertensive patients.
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000139:chemically induced; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists