Jugular bulb oxygen saturation during propofol and isoflurane/nitrous oxide anesthesia in patients undergoing brain tumor surgery.

Unlabelled: We investigated, in brain tumor patients, the jugular bulb venous oxygen partial pressure (PjO2) and hemoglobin saturation (SjO2), the arterial to jugular bulb venous oxygen content difference (AJDO2), and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (Vmca) during anesthesia, and the effect of hyperventilation on these variables. Twenty patients were randomized to receive either isoflurane/ nitrous oxide/fentanyl (Group 1) or propofol/fentanyl (Group 2). At normoventilation (PacO2 35 +/- 2 mm Hg in Group 1 and 33 +/- 3 mm Hg in Group 2), SjO2 and PjO2 were significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (SjO2 60% +/- 6% and 49% +/- 13%, respectively; P = 0.