Efficacy of simulated epinephrine-containing epidural test dose after intravenous atropine during isoflurane anesthesia in children

Background and Objectives: A double-blind, randomized study was performed t o investigate heart rate (WR) and blood pressure responses to 2 doses of in travenous (IV) epinephrine (0.5 and 0.75 mug/kg) in 61 children, ages 3 mon ths to 12 years. Methods: Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane (age-adjusted 1 minimal alveolar concentration [MAC]) in oxygen. All patients received IV atropine (10 mug/kg) and 5 minutes later were randomized to receive IV solutions (0. 1 mL/kg) containing 1% lidocaine (n = 19, group I) with saline; lidocaine 1 % with epinephrine 0.5 mug/kg (n = 21. group II); or lidocaine 1% with epin ephrine 0.75 mug/kg (n = 21, group III). HR was recorded at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 seconds, and 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes after test-dose injection. Systo lic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, and end-tidal carbon di oxide were recorded at steady-state isoflurane anesthesia, after the inject ion of atropine, and at 45-second intervals after test-dose injections. Results: Median maximum increases in HR were similar in groups II and III a t 19 and 22 beats per minute (beats/min), respectively. An HR increase of g reater than or equal to 10 beats/min was observed in 19 of 21 patients who received 0.5 mug/kg epinephrine and 21 of 21 patients receiving 0.75 mug/kg . None of the patients in group I developed HR increases greater than or eq ual to 10 beats/min. SEP increased greater than or equal to 15 mm Hg in 17 of 21 patients in group II and 19 of 21 in group III. No dysrhythmias or T- wave amplitude change was noted. Conclusions: A simulated epidural test dose containing lidocaine 1 mg/kg wi th epinephrine 0.75 mug/kg, administered IV following atropine, may reliabl y increase HR to indicate unintentional injection into epidural vessels of children anesthetized with 1 MAC isoflurane.