A comparative study of the haemostatic properties and cardiovascular effects of adrenaline and ornipressin in children using enflurane anaesthesia.

In a randomized, double-blind trial, haemostatic and cardiovascular effects of ornipressin and adrenaline were compared in 30 children requiring surgery for "bat-ear" deformity. Mean total blood loss was 14.3 ml with ornipressin and 11.7 ml with adrenaline, this difference being insignificant. There was a significant and progressive reduction in mean heart rate in children who received ornipressin, from 134 to 116 bpm (P less than 0.05), and a significant rise from 127 to 134 bpm (P less than 0.05) with adrenaline. Mean systolic pressure was unaltered by ornipressin but was significantly increased from 97 to 105 mmHg (P less than 0.05) in children receiving adrenaline. Ornipressin is as effective a haemostatic agent as adrenaline and the rises in heart rate and systolic pressure associated with adrenaline, which are factors known to predispose to the onset of ventricular dysrhythmias, do not occur with ornipressin.