Objective: To determine and compare the effects of hematocrit and serum con
stituents on the blood solubilities of volatile anesthetics in different ca
rdiac surgical patients.
Design: Descriptive
Setting: University hospital.
Participants: Twenty healthy adult volunteers, 40 adult cardiac patients, a
nd 20 pediatric cardiac patients.
Measurements and Main Results: Blood/gas partition coefficients of desflura
ne, isoflurane, and halothane; hematocrit; and serum concentrations of chol
esterol, triglyceride, albumin, and globulin were determined in healthy adu
lt volunteers, adult patients with coronary artery disease or rheumatic hea
rt disease, and pediatric patients with cyanotic or acyanotic congenital he
art disease. Statistical analysis was used to determine the difference in s
erum constituents and blood solubility of each anesthetic among volunteers
and patients with different cardiac diseases. Triglyceride and blood/gas pa
rtition coefficients of the 3 volatile anesthetics in the patients with cor
onary artery disease were significantly higher than those in healthy volunt
eers and the patients with rheumatic heart disease (p < 0.05). Hematocrits
were significantly higher in cyanotic children than acyanotic children (p <
0.05), but the serum constituents and anesthetic solubilities were not dif
ferent between the 2 groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Patients with coronary artery disease have significantly higher
serum triglyceride and blood/gas partition coefficients for desflurane, is
oflurane, and halothane than healthy volunteers and patients with rheumatic
heart disease. Although cyanotic children have higher hematocrits compared
with acyanotic children, no significant difference in anesthetic blood gas
solubilities was found between the 2 groups. Copyright (C) 2001 by WB. Sau
nders Company.