Use of volatile anesthetics in extracorporeal circulation.
OBJECTIVE
The use of volatile anesthetics in cardiac surgery is not recent. Since the introduction of halothane in clinical practice, several cardiac surgery centers started to use these anesthetics constantly.


BACKGROUND
In the last years a great number of studies have shown that the volatile anesthetics have a protecting effect against myocardial ischemic dysfunction. Experimental evidences have shown that the halogenated anesthetics have cardioprotective effects that cannot be only explained by coronary flow alterations or by the balance between myocardium available and consumed oxygen. In addition to that, the use of volatile anesthetics during extracorporeal circulation (ECC) in cardiac surgery plays an important role. Recent studies have proven that these agents have cardioprotective properties and produce better results when the volatile anesthetic is used during the whole surgery procedure, including ECC. The use of halogenated anesthetics through calibrated vaporizers adapted to the ECC circuit via oxygenator membranes has become popular. Therefore, the professionals involved such as anesthesiologists and perfusionists should learn specifics in order to solve possible doubts.
Anesthesiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Peixoto Gomide 502/173B, SP, Brazil. caenigro@uol.com.br
Caetano
C
Nigro Neto
Maria Angela
MA
Tardelli
Paulo Henrique Dagola
PH
Paulista
D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D004867:Equipment Design; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation; D006801:Humans; D057775:Ischemic Postconditioning; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning; D014835:Volatilization
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation