Desflurane Reduces the Gain of Thermoregulatory Arteriovenous Shunt Vasoconstriction in Humans

Abstract

Abstract Background Thermoregulatory responses, such as arteriovenous shunt vasoconstriction, provide substantial protection against core hypothermia. A response can be characterized by its threshold (core temperature triggering response), gain (rate at which response intensity increases, once triggered), and maximum response intensity. Reduced gain decreases the efficacy of a thermoregulatory response at a given threshold because response intensity will increase more slowly than usual. The effects of general anesthesia on the gain of arteriovenous shunt vasoconstriction have not been reported. Accordingly, we tested the hypothesis that desflurane decreases the gain of centrally mediated vasoconstriction.