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The influence of cigarette smoking on the cardiovascular response to direct laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation
Abstract
Aim: To determin if cigarette smoking influences the cardiovascular response to direct laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation under general anaesthesia.
Method: This was a prospective study of haemodynamic changes in response to tracheal intubation in 50 ASA 1 (ASA = American Society of Anesthesiologists) men undergoing elective general or urological surgery under general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Twenty-five of the men were smokers of more than 10 cigarettes a day, while the other 25 were non-smokers. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopental and endotracheal intubation facilitated with atracurium. Measurements of systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressures, heart rate and oxygen saturation were recorded at intubation, 45 seconds after intubation and at 30-second intervals thereafter for a period of 4 minutes.
Results: Immediately after intubation, heart rate of smokers [mean: 105.0 (SD17) beats/min] was significantly greater (p<0.01) than that of non-smokers [mean: 94.0(12) beats/min]. There was no significant difference in blood pressure between the groups after tracheal intubation.
Conclusion: This study showed that cigarette smokers exhibit a greater tachycardic response to direct laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation compared with non-smokers. This may be clinically important in smokers who are at risk of ischaemic heart disease.
Nigerian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Vol. 3(1) 2006: 16-20
Method: This was a prospective study of haemodynamic changes in response to tracheal intubation in 50 ASA 1 (ASA = American Society of Anesthesiologists) men undergoing elective general or urological surgery under general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Twenty-five of the men were smokers of more than 10 cigarettes a day, while the other 25 were non-smokers. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopental and endotracheal intubation facilitated with atracurium. Measurements of systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressures, heart rate and oxygen saturation were recorded at intubation, 45 seconds after intubation and at 30-second intervals thereafter for a period of 4 minutes.
Results: Immediately after intubation, heart rate of smokers [mean: 105.0 (SD17) beats/min] was significantly greater (p<0.01) than that of non-smokers [mean: 94.0(12) beats/min]. There was no significant difference in blood pressure between the groups after tracheal intubation.
Conclusion: This study showed that cigarette smokers exhibit a greater tachycardic response to direct laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation compared with non-smokers. This may be clinically important in smokers who are at risk of ischaemic heart disease.
Nigerian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Vol. 3(1) 2006: 16-20
