[The effect of ketamine on haemodynamics and myocardial oxygen consumption in anaesthetized dogs (author's transl)].

Ketamine is an induction agent. This experimental study was designed to investigate the immediate effects of ketamine upon haemodynamics, inotropism and myocardial oxygen consumption during induction. In a circulatory steady state of a piritramide - nitrous oxide - oxygen basic anaesthesia normoventilated dogs (n = 8) received intravenous injections of 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg ketamine within 30 sec at random. Immediately after administration of 10.0 mg/kg ketamine the cardiac output (thermo dilution method) rose (27%) on account of tachycardia while the total peripheral resistance (40%) and the mean arterial pressure (23%) decreased. The decrease in stroke volume (37%) and the inotropic parameter dp/dt max (42%) as well as the increase in the end-diastolic left ventricular pressure (31%) and in the pressure of the pulmonary artery (11%) suggest considerable myocardial depressor properties of ketamine. The change in haemodynamics was paralleled with an increase in myocardial oxygen consumption (47%), which was initially met by an increase in coronary blood flow (25%) and an additional oxygen utilization (20%). The increase in arterio-coronary venous oxygen difference is believed to be due to a constriction of the coronary arteries after ketamine. Since external cardiac work remained unchanged,while myocardial contractility and myocardial wall tension (Psyst) decreased, the increase in heart rate (63%) explains the rise in myocardial oxygen consumption. The efficiency of cardiac work, which is defined as the ratio of myocardial displacement work to myocardial energy demand, decreased (31%) and illustrated the uneconomic work of the heart under the influence of ketamine. The clinical utilization of the data obtained from this study are discussed.