“Does anesthesia affect heart rate?”
I am a 35 year old male. I want to know if anesthesia affects heart rate?
4 Answers
Yes, it does. But how serious depends on your health and type of surgery. Many studies showed that some anesthetics have cardio protective value.
General inhaled anesthetics have varying effects on heart rate. Two of the most commonly used agents, sevoflurane and isoflurane increase the heart rate slightly. Desflurane actually may increase the heart rate significantly when its concentration is rapidly increased. If a rapid increase in concentration is avoided, then desflurane will usually only slightly increase the heart rate. An older but uncommonly used inhaled agent, halothane, actually lowers the heart rate. Inhaled anesthetic and certain intravenous agents will lower blood pressure by causing the muscle in blood vessels to relax. The body will often respond with an increase in heart rate to compensate for the lowering in blood pressure.
Epidural and spinal anesthetics will also cause blood vessels to relax thus lowering blood pressure. When this occurs, the heart rate will reflexively increase to compensate. If the epidural or spinal anesthesia level is high, the nerves which control heart rate become anesthetized. In this case, the heart rate will slow even in the presence of a low blood pressure.
Most intravenous drugs used to initiate general anesthesia such as propofol have minimum effect on heart rate and may cause slight increase or decrease. One intravenous drug used to initiate general anesthesia, ketamine, increase heart rate.
Epidural and spinal anesthetics will also cause blood vessels to relax thus lowering blood pressure. When this occurs, the heart rate will reflexively increase to compensate. If the epidural or spinal anesthesia level is high, the nerves which control heart rate become anesthetized. In this case, the heart rate will slow even in the presence of a low blood pressure.
Most intravenous drugs used to initiate general anesthesia such as propofol have minimum effect on heart rate and may cause slight increase or decrease. One intravenous drug used to initiate general anesthesia, ketamine, increase heart rate.
It can if you are dehydrated and your blood pressure drops. However, please keep in mind that anesthesia is extremely safe certainly compared to your drive to the facility.
From Christopher Creighton
From Christopher Creighton
Yes. Some drugs give you tachicardia others bradicardia.
