Comparison of two doses of intravenous esmolol in attenuation of hemodynamic response to extubation in laparoscopic surgeries

Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was the comparison of hemodynamic variables such as heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure during the extubation period following administration of two doses of intravenous (IV) esmolol. Materials and Methods: This prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted on patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status), aged between 18 and 65 years, scheduled for elective laparoscopic procedure done under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Sixty participants were randomized into three groups of 20 each, the first two groups received IV esmolol injection of 0.5 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg doses, respectively, and the third group received placebo injection of 10 ml of saline intravenously after the completion of surgery before extubation. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis of data was done using SPSS 20 software. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used for the analysis of trends of different parameters within the group. For comparison between the groups and to find if any significant difference exists, one-way ANOVA was used. Post hoc Tukey's test was used to find where the difference originated from, once significant difference was found. Results: Demographic data were statistically similar between groups. IV administration of esmolol at both 0.5 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg is effective in attenuating heart rate response but IV esmolol bolus of 1 mg/kg is more effective than bolus of 0.5 mg/kg in attenuating blood pressure response to extubation as it provided a more consistent hemodynamic control during the extubation as well as in the postextubation period. Conclusion: Extubation and emergence from general anesthesia cause significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure and emphasis must be given on attenuation of this sympathetic response, especially in vulnerable patients. IV administration of esmolol is effective in attenuation of heart rate response and blood pressure response with consistently good hemodynamic control during extubation postoperatively.