HYPOTHALAMO-PITUITARY-ADRENAL RESPONSE DURING MAJOR SURGICAL STRESS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Fluorometric determinations of plasma corticosteroids were done during major surgical procedures on 28 patients with normal adrenal function. All the patients received pethidine as preoperative medication. The operations were performed under halothane-N2O-O2 anaesthesia. Fifteen patients served as controls. Thirteen patients received 1 mg dexamethasone i. m. 9 hours before the induction of anaesthesia and an additional 8 mg of dexamethasone was administered i. m. 1½ hours before the induction of anaesthesia. During surgery the mean plasma corticosteroid values in these patients were greatly diminished. However, the mean plasma corticosteroid response to surgery was the same in the control and in the treated group of patients, indicating that suppression by dexamethasone has no influence on the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal response to major acute stress.