Influence of blood pressure on internal carotid artery blood flow during combined propofol-remifentanil and thoracic epidural anesthesia.

Background And Aims: Anesthesia often reduces mean arterial pressure (MAP) to a level that may compromise cerebral blood flow. We evaluated whether phenylephrine treatment of anesthesia-induced hypotension affects internal carotid artery (ICA) blood flow and whether anesthesia affects ICA flow and CO reactivity.

Material And Methods: The study included twenty-seven patients (65 ± 11 years; mean ± SD) undergoing esophageal resection ( = 14), stomach resection ( = 12), or a gastroentero anastomosis ( = 1) during combined propofol-remifentanil and thoracic epidural anesthesia.

Phenylephrine increases near-infrared spectroscopy determined muscle oxygenation during head-up tilt in men.

Phenylephrine is an α-adrenergic agent and yet seems to increase near-infrared spectroscopy determined muscle oxygenation (SO) that reflects the ratio between oxygenated (OHb) and deoxygenated (Hb) haemoglobin/myoglobin. We examined whether the increase in SO by phenylephrine reflects veno-constriction and to secure filling of the veins, subjects were exposed to head-up tilt (HUT). Phenylephrine (0.