Gender may affect the hemodynamic response to induction and intubation in young adults.

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To determine whether gender affects the hemodynamic response to anesthesia induction and intubation in young adults.

DESIGN

Randomized clinical trial.

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENTS

83 healthy patients, aged 20 to 30 years, scheduled for orthopedic, plastic, and general surgery.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomly allocated to one of three groups: Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl 1.5 microg/kg and thiopental 3 mg/kg in Group 1 (n = 28, men) and Group 2 (n = 28, women), or fentanyl 1.5 microg/kg and thiopental 2 mg/kg in Group 3 (n= 27, women) and maintained with enflurane 1% in N2O-O2 throughout the observational period. Three minutes after induction, direct laryngoscopy and intubation were performed.

MEASUREMENTS

Noninvasive systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures, and heart rate (HR) were recorded before induction (baseline), immediately before intubation, immediately after intubation, and then every 1 minute for 5 minutes after intubation.

RESULTS

SBP, DBP, and HR did not differ between men and women at baseline. However, SBP and DBP were lower in women than in men (p < 0.05) and immediately before intubation and at overall time points after intubation. There were no significant differences noted in SBP, DBP, and HR between Groups 2 and 3. When compared with baseline values, SBP and DBP were decreased in women, whereas only DBP was decreased in men immediately before intubation (p < 0.05). The increase in SBP was more prolonged in men after intubation.

CONCLUSIONS

Pressor response is different in women than men, suggesting the difference of the response might result from the gender differences.