EARLY AND LATE POSTISCHEMIC RECOVERY OF CONTRACTILE FUNCTION IS AFFECTED TO DIFFERENT DEGREES BY ISOFLURANE SAND HALOTHANE IN THE ANESTHETIZED RABBIT MODEL

The protective efficacy of halogenated anaestheticon myocardial injury has never been compared during early reperfusion and late reperfusion in an in vivo animal model. We compared recovery of left ventricular function under isoflurane (0.5 MAC) and halothane (0.5 MAC) anaesthesi a after a brief period of regional ischaemia (15 min) in acutely instr umented rabbits. Rabbits were instrumented for the measurement of regi onal segment length and left ventricular pressure. Rabbits receiving i soflurane showed greater recovery of systolic shortening fraction (%SS ) both during early and late reperfusion compared with halothane anaes thesia. Isoflurane protected the post-ischaemic myocardium to a greate r extent than halothane anaesthesia. Early recovery of contractile fun ction may be a predictor of contractile recovery during the later stag es of reperfusion.