INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOMENTAL STRESS LEVEL ON THE PREOPERATIVE ADJUSTMENTOF PLASMA VISCOSITY

Patients suffering from one or more of the cardiovascular occlusive di seases have an increased risk of intraoperative thromboembolic or isch emic complication. Hemorheological factors may influence the risk of o ccurence of these complications. We tested in a prospective study the impact of preoperative mental stress on hemorheological parameters of 22 patients undergoing surgery without cardiovascular disease, compare d to a group of 10 healthy probands without imminent operation. We mea sured endocrinological stress parameters, hematocrit, plasma viscosity , and plasma protein composition the evening before the observed night and the morning before the operation took place. The overnight reduct ion in stress parameters seen in the probands was not present in the p atients. Consequences of this different stress response include a stat istically significant increase in hematocrit and plasma viscosity in t he patients mainly resulting from a shift of fluids out of the intrava scular space. We conclude that the rheological parameters might deteri orate during the preoperative period in patients with increased risk o f cardiovascular problems.