Comparison of haemodynamic changes induced by sevoflurane and halothane in paediatric patients.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the haemodynamic effects of 1 MAC and 2 MAC of sevoflurane in children in comparison with halothane. Thirty-eight children (aged from one to six years, average age; 3.6 +/- 0.2 yr) were randomly assigned to four groups, depending on the dose and agent (1 and 2 MAC of sevoflurane: S1 and S2; 1 and 2 MAC of halothane: H1 and H2, respectively). After collecting control data during 0.2 MAC of either anaesthetic, end-expired anaesthetics were kept at 1 MAC or 2 MAC for 15 min. Mean blood pressure (mBP) and stroke volume index (SVI), measured by impedance cardiometry, decreased in all groups without differences between groups. Heart rate (HR) increased in groups S1, S2 and H2 but not in group H1. The HR in S2 was higher than that in H2. The cardiac index (CI), a product of SVI and HR, tended to decrease but not significantly in all groups. These results suggested that the haemodynamic depressant effects of sevoflurane in children were similar to those of equipotent halothane concentration except for HR.