Halothane anesthesia reduces inducibility of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in chronic canine myocardial infarction

Summary

This study examined the effects of 2% halothane general anesthesia on ventricular electrophysiological properties and inducibility of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF). Dogs with chronic anterior infarction and control dogs (no infarction) were studied before and after anesthesia using chronically implanted ventricular epicardial electrodes. PQ interval was increased by 15% with halothane, but QRS duration, QT interval, QTc, and sinus rhythm cycle length were unaffected by anesthesia. Diastolic threshold was unchanged by halothane. Halothane caused significant increases of 10–30% in ventricular effective refractory period (ERP) both in control and in infarct animals. VT and VF were not inducible in any of the nine control animals either before or after anesthesia. In infarct animals 34 of 75 (45%) had inducible VT or VF prior to halothane, but the incidence of inducible arrhythmias was significantly lower at 29% (22 of 75 animals) after halothane (p<0.01). In 75% of animals in which halothane suppressed inducibility of tachyarrhythmias, halothane-induced increases in ERP prevented achievement of the short extrastimulus coupling intervals at which the arrhythmias were induced before anesthesia. In conclusion: halothane anesthesia reduces the incidence of inducible sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias in chronic canine myocardial infarction.