Attenuation of hemodynamic response to tracheal extubation: A comparative study between esmolol and labetalol

Background and Aims: Cardiovascular stress response to extubation can result in elevated heart rate (HR) and mean arterial blood pressures which can be detrimental in high-risk patients. Settings and Design: The objective of this study is to compare the esmolol and labetalol efficacy in attenuating hemodynamic response to tracheal extubation. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients scheduled for elective surgical procedures were selected randomly and divided into two groups of thirty each. Group I - esmolol 1.5 mg/kg and Group II - labetalol 0.25 mg/kg were administered 2 min before extubation after following a standard perioperative anesthetic management. Hemodynamic parameters recorded include HR, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) at baseline, reversal, study drug, 1 min after study drug, extubation, and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 15 min postextubation. Statistical Analysis: Student's t-test and analysis of variance have been used to find the significance of study parameters between groups of patients. P