Haemodynamic responses during general anaesthesia for renal transplantation in patients with and without hypertensive disease

Haemodynamic changes in 81 patients undergoing surgery for renal transplantation were studied. They were allocated to three groups depending on whether or not they had chronic hypertension and which drugs were used to control it. The patients in Group I (N = 18, 22%) were normotensive and were not receiving antihypertensive therapy, those in Group II (N = 21, 26%) were taking beta–blockers and those in Group III (N = 42, 52%) both beta–blockers and vasodilating agents. Antihypertensive medication was continued as prescribed until surgery. No anticholinergic premedication was given. All patients received a standardized anaesthesia which included thiopentone, fentanyl, vecuronium and isoflurane. Mean arterial blood pressure and mean heart rate were lowest in Group I compared with the other groups immediately before induction, following vecuronium and thiopentone administration, and after tracheal intubation (P < 0.05). After the 10–min induction period, blood pressure and heart rate values did not differ between the groups. Although before and during surgery and anaesthesia central venous pressure did not differ between the groups, CVP was higher in Group I postoperatively compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). No serious anaesthesia–related complications occurred.