High dose Fentanyl anesthesia for aorto-coronary bypass surgery

The adverse effects of high dose Fentanyl were compared with those of Morphine, given to 48 patients undergoing aorto-coronary bypass surgery from January to August 1981. In ten patients among the Fentanyl group, their cardiovascular dynamics during the induction of Fentanyl anesthesia were evaluated using Swan-Ganz catheters at the dose of 25μg/kg, 50μg/kg, 70μg/kg. M.A.P., C.I., S.V.I., L.V.S.W.I. were decreased significantly at each dose, therefore the cardiovascular depressant effect by high dose Fentanyl was revealed. But the more stable cardiovascular conditions during anesthesia, were given by high dose Fentanyl anesthesia than Morphine anesthesia, although 33% of patients anesthetized by Fentanyl, became hypotensive during the induction, and 36% of those had hypertension and/or tachycardia on pulling epicardium. Despite of them, the high dose Fentanyl anesthesia is recommended for the aorto-coronary bypass surgery.