Influence of thiopental, etomidate, and propofol on regional myocardial function in the normal and acute ischemic heart segment in dogs.

The effects of 30-min infusions of thiopental (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 mg.kg-1.h-1), etomidate (2.4, 3.6, 7.2, 9.6, 12, and 14.4 mg.kg-1.h-1), and propofol (6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 mg.kg-1.h-1) on regional hemodynamic variables in the normal and acute ischemic heart segment were studied in dogs using ultrasonic segment length gauges. The three agents were associated with a dose-dependent decrease in end-diastolic length, indicating a decrease in left ventricular filling. This effect was most pronounced for propofol. At the doses tested, etomidate did not significantly alter regional myocardial function. Thiopental, however, was associated with a dose-dependent decrease in systolic shortening, which was significantly greater in the ischemic segment. These findings confirm the hemodynamic stability seen with etomidate and show that thiopental depresses myocardial function more in the acute ischemic heart than in the normal heart. The decrease in systolic shortening associated with propofol was similar in the normal and in the acute ischemic heart segment.