[The influence of the addition of epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate on the hemodynamics after epidural anesthesia].

We examined the effects of epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate in the hemodynamics after epidural anesthesia. The solution was prepared by adding 2 ml of either 7% sodium bicarbonate or saline to 1% lidocaine 20 ml with or without epinephrine (1:200,000) and we gave 3 ml of each solution in the epidural space of dogs anesthetized with halothane. Epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate addition exerted no significant influence on the hemodynamics except tendency to continuous hypotension. Although sodium bicarbonate addition tended to decrease heart rate, the decrease was not significant and the duration of hypotension was short.