The selection of anesthesia induction agents with respect to intubation induced bradycardia.

During induction of anesthesia and intubation dangerously low heart rates sometimes occur. In this study the short term influence of various commonly used anesthetics on heart rate was investigated, before, during and immediately after intubation. Various combinations of the drugs Fentanyl, nicomorphine, etomidate, thiopentone, succinyldicholine and vecuronium were studied in patients of ASA class I and II. The drugs nicomorphine, thiopentone and vecuronium did induce only minimal and short term heart rate changes. They are therefore safer in this respect and should probably be preferred for anesthesia induction of patients with known small cardiovascular safety margin.