Perioperative catecholamine changes in cardiac risk patients

Background It has previously been found that in cardiac risk patients under going noncardiac surgery post-operative cardiac complications are correlate d with high post-operative serum levels of troponin T (TNT) and troponin I (TNI). We investigated whether perioperative changes in the release of free (fCAs) and conjugated catecholamines (cCAs) correlate with the increased s erum level of TN (TNI). Materials and methods Plasma. levels of CAs were determined in 28 patients at risk for or with definite coronary artery disease. Blood sampling was pe rformed in the morning on the day before surgery, on the day of surgery bef ore induction of anaesthesia and until the fifth post-operative day Tor mea surement of CAs by high-performance liquid chromatography. Results The plasma concentrations of free and conjugated noradrenaline (fTA and cNA) as well as of free and conjugated adrenaline (fA and cA) were inc reased significantly in TN up arrow patients post-operatively. The plasma l evels of free as well as df conjugated NA and A TN up arrow patients were s ignificantly higher than in TN0 patients over the whole post-operative peri od. Conclusion This study demonstrates that increased post-operative release of fNA and EA as well as of cNA and cA correlates with high post-operative se rum levels of troponins in cardiac risk patients undergoing non-cardiac sur gery.