Influence of Hypovolemia on the Electroencephalographic Effect of Isoflurane in a Swine Model

Background: Hypovolemia alters the effect of several intravenous anesthetics by influencing pharmacokinetics and end-organ sensitivity. The authors investigated the influence of hypovolemia on the effect of an inhalation anesthetic, isoflurane, in a swine hemorrhage model.

Methods: Eleven swine were studied. After animal preparation with inhalation of 2% isoflurane anesthesia, the inhalation concentration was decreased to 0.5% and maintained at this level for 25 min before being returned to 2% (control). After 25 min, hypovolemia was induced by removing 14 ml/kg of the initial blood volume via an arterial catheter. After a 25-min stabilization period, the inhalation concentration was decreased to 0.5%, maintained at this level for 25 min, and then returned to 2% (20% bleeding). After another 25 min, a further 7 ml/kg blood was collected, and the inhalation concentration was altered as before (30% bleeding). End-tidal isoflurane concentrations and an electroencephalogram were recorded throughout the study. Spectral edge frequency was used as a measure of the isoflurane effect, and pharmacodynamics were characterized using a sigmoidal inhibitory maximal effect model for the spectral edge frequency versus end-tidal concentration.

Results: There was no significant difference in the effect of isoflurane among the conditions used. Hypovolemia did not shift the concentration-effect relation (the effect site concentration that produced 50% of the maximal effect was 1.2 +/- 0.2% under control conditions, 1.2 +/- 0.2% with 20% bleeding, and 1.1 +/- 0.2% with 30% bleeding).