EFFECT OF ALFENTANIL ANAESTHESIA ON THE ADRENOCORTICAL AND HYPERGLYCAEMIC RESPONSE TO ABDOMINAL SURGERY

Plasma concentrations of cortisol and glucose were measured from before to 9 h after skin incision in 24 patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. The patients were randomly allocated to receive either high-dose alfentanil anaesthesia (150 μg kg −1 initially, followed by continuous infusion at a rate of 3 μg kg −1 min −1 ) or neurolept anaesthesia (droperidol 0.25 mg kg −1 plus fentanyl 5 μg kg −1 initially, followed by intermittent incremental doses of fentanyl 50 μg). The intraoperative and initial postoperative increases in plasma cortisol and glucose concentrations were inhibited (P