Baroreflex Integrity: A Comparative Study between Propofol and Propofol with Sevoflurane Anesthesia

Background: The baroreceptor reflex is the main mechanism for short-term regulation of blood pressure and a major determinant of the blood pressure responses associated with various behaviors. Baroreflex Sensitivity (BRS) is the amount of change in beat-to-beat interval (RR) against a ImmHg systolic blood pressure deviation. BRS is traditionally measured by bolus injection of vasoactive drugs such as phenylephrine which causes increase in Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) or Na Nitroprusside (NTP) which causes decrease in systolic blood pressure. Methods: This comparative study included 40 patients who were scheduled for laparoscopic gynecological surgery. Patients were divided into two groups (propofol-group) and (combined propofol sevo group) with 20 patient in each group. Pressor and depressor tests were done pre, intra and postoperative with recording systolic blood pressure and RR interval as well as the diastolic overshoot in the awake state, under anesthesia and postoperatively. Results: There were no significant differences in patient population demographic data, awake pretest SBP and HR. The results of our study suggest that there was no significant depression of baroreceptors except for the depressor slopes in the propofol group after induction of anesthesia with full recovery of baroreceptors in the postoperative results. Conclusion: Data obtained from this study showed that use of propofol alone may lead to depression of baroreceptors as compared to combined use of sevoflurane and propofol. On the other hand, there was no difference in haemodynamics among both groups.