Comparison of 1% and 2% lidocaine epidural anaesthesia combined with sevoflurane general anaesthesia utilizing a constant bispectral index.
BACKGROUND
The authors compared the effects of epidural anaesthesia with lidocaine 1% and lidocaine 2% on haemodynamic variables, sevoflurane requirements, and stress hormone responses during surgery under combined epidural/general anaesthesia with bispectral index score (BIS) kept within the range 40-50.


METHODS
Thirty-three patients undergoing lower abdominal surgery were randomly divided into two groups to receive lidocaine 1% or 2% by epidural with sevoflurane general anaesthesia. Sevoflurane was adjusted to achieve a target BIS of 40-50 during maintenance of anaesthesia with nitrous oxide 60% in oxygen. Measurements included the inspired (FI(SEVO)) and the end-tidal sevoflurane concentrations (E'(SEVO)), blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) before surgery and every 5 min during surgery for 2 h. Plasma samples were taken immediately before and during surgery for measurements of catecholamines, cortisol, and lidocaine.


RESULTS
During surgery, both groups were similar for HR, BP and BIS, but FI(SEVO) and E'(SEVO) were significantly higher and more variable with lidocaine 1% than with 2%. Intraoperative plasma concentrations of epinephrine and cortisol were found to be higher with lidocaine 1% as compared with 2%.


CONCLUSIONS
To maintain BIS of 40-50 during combined epidural/general anaesthesia for lower abdominal surgery, sevoflurane concentrations were lower and less variable with lidocaine 2% than with 1%. In addition, the larger concentration of lidocaine suppressed the stress hormone responses better.
Shono
A
A
Department of Anesthesiology, Shimane Medical University, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo City 693-8501, Japan.
Sakura
S
S
Saito
Y
Y
Doi
K
K
Nakatani
T
T
D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D000077149:Sevoflurane
D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D008012:Lidocaine; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D004837:Epinephrine