Heart-rates of surgeons during operations and other clinical activities and their modification by oxprenolol.

The heart-rates of surgeons were recorded by ambulatory monitoring methods while they operated and while they conducted surgical outpatient clinics. Heart-rates during operations were also monitored 1 hour after the surgeons had taken an oral dose of 40 mg oxprenolol. During operations the mean heart-rate of 8 surgeons was 121/min with maximum rates in some cases of over 150/min. The tachycardia was abolished by 40 mg of oxprenolol which reduced heart-rates during operations to below those recorded during surgical outpatient clinics. Physical work necessary to reproduce the mean heart-rate whilst operating could not be sustained for more than 10--15 min.