BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of prophylactic administration of normal saline against the hypotensive effect of propofol in female patients booked for gynecological procedures. METHOD: Sixty nine ASA (I, II) patients were randomly allocated into two groups, group 1 received 5 mL.kg-1 of 0.9% normal saline 10 minutes before induction, whereas group 2 received nothing (control). Anesthesia was induced with propofol and fentanyl then maintained with propofol and remifentanil. We measured hemodynamic variables pre and post general anesthesia induction. RESULTS: Both groups had significant drops in post induction mean arterial blood pressure (P < 0.001). Also both groups had significant drops in post induction heart rate ((P < 0.02 in sample group and P < 0.001 in control group), and 35% of patients in the control group had more than 25% drop in the pre induction mean arterial blood pressure, compared with only 17% of patients in the saline group (P < 0.04). CONCLUSION: The prophylactic administration of normal saline could decrease the percentage of patients who had a significant drop in their blood pressure after propofol induction of general anesthesia.
Isotonic Solutions; Anesthesia; Propofol; Blood Pressure; Heart Rate
