[Perioperative heart rate in patients taking beta-blockers: reality and efficiency of the treatment].
OBJECTIVE
To compare perioperative heart rate (HR) control of patients chronically exposed to beta-blockers (BB) with those of patients whom BB treatment was initiated one week preoperatively.


METHODS
HR was noticed at three successive time periods: the anaesthesia visit, just before induction of anaesthesia, and during surgery (maximum and minimum HR). HR, presented as mean+/-SD, was compared among 3 groups of patients: BB chronic treatment, preoperative BB, and a control group not taking BB.


RESULTS
Four hundred (and) six patients were included: 181 chronic BB patients, 20 preoperative BB, and 205 control patients. As compared to the control group, HR of chronic BB patients were lower (P<0.05) than those of the control group at the three time period of the study. In the preoperative BB patient group, one week BB treatment resulted in a mean 30% reduction of HR. Just before induction of anaesthesia, HR of preoperative BB patients was lower than that of chronic BB patients (55+/-11 vs 67+/-13 b/min; P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Beta-blockers treatment initiated one week before surgery could be more effective on perioperative HR control than chronic BB treatment.
Danton
N
N
Service d'anesthésie-réanimation 1, centre hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Pierre-Benite cedex, France.
Ferretti
C
C
Benoist
M
M
Crozon
J
J
Rimmelle
T
T
Gueugniaud
P-Y
PY
Piriou
V
V
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists