Increases in heart rate and systolic blood pressure in anesthetized dogs affected with X-linked muscular dystrophy after cisatracurium administration: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND

Most patients affected with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) present with arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. Drugs which potentially may induce tachycardia or hypertension could precipitate acute cardiac failure in these patients and should be avoided.

METHODS

Thirty anesthesia records of five experimental male golden retriever cross-bred dogs affected with X-linked muscular dystrophy (GRDM), a model of DMD, were retrospectively reviewed (DMD group). Anesthesia records were compared with those of 10 golden retriever dogs not affected with muscular dystrophy (control group). Records were excluded if dogs received anticholinergics or vasoactive amines. Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl followed by propofol, both intravenously. After orotracheal intubation, all dogs' lungs were mechanically ventilated. Anesthesia was maintained with infusion of fentanyl and propofol (DMD group) or isoflurane in oxygen (control group). Pure O(2) was provided to the DMD group. Cisatracurium (0.1 mg·kg(-1) ) was administered intravenously to all dogs. Five-min interval recordings of HR and systolic blood pressures (SAP) were obtained.

RESULTS

Immediately after the administration of cisatracurium, absolute values for HR and SAP significantly increased by 78.3 ± 37.0 b·min(-1) (115.4 ± 64.9%) and 33.0 ± 28.3 mmHg (33.5 ± 31.2%), respectively, in all DMD dogs and remained significantly increased for 10 and 30 min, respectively. Dogs in the control group did not show significant increases in HR or SAP after cisatracurium administration. All dogs recovered from anesthesia without complications.

CONCLUSION

In this report, increases in HR and SAP could be associated with the administration of cisatracurium in individuals affected with X-linked muscular dystrophy. These cardiovascular changes deserve further investigation.