title: Effect of halothane on cardiac acceleration response to somatic nerve stimulation in dogs.
abstract: In six dogs, the authors investigated the effect of halothane on cardiac acceleration response to the electrical stimulation of a cutaneous nerve. It was found that increasing the concentration of halothane was associated with a proportional depression of the cardiac acceleration response to somatic nerve stimulation (y--99.8 - 44.3x; y--delta HR, x--halothane end-tidal concentration). Relationship of the response to end-tidal anesthetic concentration was characterized by a strong correlation (r= -0.93, P less than 0.0001). Complete abolition of the increase in heart rate in response to somatic nerve stimulation was observed at a halothane end-tidal concentration of 2.2 vol% (extrapolation). It is suggested that suppression of heart rate increase to noxious stimulation may be used as a graded index of the depth of anesthesia for halothane.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D010197:Pancuronium / Q000494:pharmacology; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010197:Pancuronium; D006221:Halothane