Background and objective: The safety of hypotension induced by sevoflurane and splanchnic organ blood flow remains to be clarified. The aim was to investigate the effects of sevoflurane-induced hypotension on systemic haemodynamics and splanchnic organ blood flows in dogs.
Methods: Mean arterial pressure was maintained at 60 mmHg by increasing sevoflurane concentrations. The renal, hepatic and pancreatic blood flows were measured by using the hydrogen clearance method.
Results: Hypotension induced by sevoflurane resulted in a 50% decrease of mean arterial pressure due to a 30% reduction in systemic vascular resistance associated with a 30% decrease in cardiac index. The mechanisms causing the lower cardiac index were produced by the decreases in heart rate and left ventricular dP/dt(max). Renal, hepatic and pancreatic blood flow were reduced, but the whole-body oxygen consumption did not change during the hypotensive period.
Conclusions: The haemodynamic changes induced by sevoflurane were caused by the suppression of arterial baroreflexes and myocardial depression, but splanchnic organ blood flows, though reduced, could provide adequate peripheral perfusion to meet the decrease in oxygen supply.