[Attenuation of cardiovascular response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation with bolus injection of diltiazem].

Effect of diltiazem on cardiovascular response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation was studied in 20 patients without hypertension and 10 patients with hypertension to be operated on under general anesthesia. The patients were divided into three groups: the first group without hypertension (group C, n = 10) received saline as control, the second group without hypertension (group N, n = 10) received bolus injection of diltiazem, and the third group with hypertension (group H, n = 10) received bolus injection of diltiazem. Diltiazem was administered 2 min before intubation at a dose of 0.2 mg.kg-1 as a bolus injection. Changes of mean blood pressure, rate pressure product, pressure rate quotient in group H and N decreased significantly compared with group C. Changes of heart rate were comparable among the three groups. Complications were not remarkable except one case in which systolic pressure decreased to 80 mmHg. The results suggest that bolus injection of diltiazem at a dose of 0.2 mg.kg-1 attenuates cardiovascular response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation without serious complications.