Haemodynamic stability during anaesthesia induction with propofol – impact of phenylephrine. A double-blind, randomised clinical trial

Background. We studied the efects of a parallel phenylephrine infusion during bispectral index guided anaesthesia induction with propofol on haemodynamic parameters. We hypothesised that mean arterial pressure and cardiac index would be better maintained in the group of patients receiving the phenylephrine infusion during induction. Methods. We studied ASA I-III patients scheduled for oncological abdominal surgery. Forty patients randomly received either a 0.9% NaCl or a phenylephrine (0.5 μg/kg/min) infusion during the induction of anaesthesia with propofol to a bispectral index value of 60. Mean arterial pressure, stroke volume index and systemic vascular resistance index were recorded, starting at one minute before induction for 20 minutes, at one-minute intervals. Results. Afer induction of anaesthesia before intubation mean arterial pressure and stroke volume index decreased signifcantly compared to baseline in both groups, while the systemic vascular resistance index increased slightly. At the end of measurements, mean arterial pressure (66 ± 11 vs. 94 ± 14 mmHg; 0.9% NaCl vs. phenylephrine group p