HEMODYNAMIC-EFFECTS OF IRRIGATING FLUIDS STUDIED BY DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN VOLUNTEERS

Objective To study whether moderate amounts of irrigating fluids induc e cardiac stress when infused into healthy volunteers, giving special attention to solutions containing ethanol as a tracer of absorption. S ubjects and methods Over a period of 20 min, 15 mL/kg of glycine (1% o r 1.5%) or 3% mannitol (all containing 1% ethanol) or sorbitol 2%-mann itol 1% (with no ethanol) were infused intravenously into 10 healthy m ale volunteers. The central haemodynamic responses were studied using Doppler ultrasonography. Results Specific and general haemodynamic res ponses were observed. After infusing glycine there was a reduction of the heart rate and in cardiac output and an elevation of mean arterial pressure, indicating an increase in systemic resistance. There was no improvement when the glycine content was reduced from 1.5% to 1.0%. F urthermore, infusion of all irrigating fluids was associated with a de crease in cardiac output 30 min after the infusion. Almost identical b reath-ethanol curves were obtained with the three fluids containing et hanol and all of them caused slight hypoglycaemia. There was no eviden ce of ethanol-induced tachycardia. Conclusions Irrigating fluids conta ining glycine and ethanol have a specific haemodynamic effect not occu rring with solutions containing mannitol or sorbitol.