title: Atenolol administration via a nasogastric tube after abdominal surgery: an unreliable route.
abstract: beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, especially atenolol, reduce perioperative cardiac morbidity. Because there are no data on the bioavailability of atenolol given by nasogastric tube in the postoperative period, we assessed the efficacy of this route of administration in 18 patients scheduled for abdominal surgery. We found a 36% reduction in the area under the atenolol concentration curve and a 46% reduction in the peak concentration of atenolol in the postoperative period compared with preoperative values. In addition, patients had more rapid mean heart rates on the second postoperative day compared with the day before surgery. We conclude that the administration of atenolol via nasogastric tube in the postoperative period does not result in adequate plasma concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Departments of *Anesthesiology and †Pharmacology, Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gosgnach
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aymard
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huraux
authors.forename: Marie Hélène
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Fléron
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coriat
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diquet
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001262:Atenolol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001682:Biological Availability; D006207:Half-Life; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D001262:Atenolol