Effects of double administration of nicardipine of the cardiovascular response to tracheal intubation in hypertensive patients.

The efficacy of intravenous nicardipine in attenuating the cardiovascular responses to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation was studied in 20 hypertensive patients. Ten patients received intravenous 1 mg of nicardipine 1 min before induction (N1 group). The other ten received 1 mg of nicardipine 1 min before induction and an additional 1 mg just before laryngoscopy (N2 group). In the N1 group, arterial pressure and heart rate increased significantly after tracheal intubation. In the N2 group, arterial pressure did not increase but heart rate increased more than that in N1 group. There was no significant difference in rate pressure product between the two groups.