Sevoflurane anaesthesia for one-lung ventilation with PEEP to the dependent lung in sheep: effects on right ventricular function and oxygenation.

This study was undertaken to examine the effect of sevoflurane on right ventricular function, the safety of sevoflurane for one-lung ventilation and the effects of PEEP (positive end-expiratory pressure) to the dependent lung in this model using 12 open-chest sheep. Haemodynamic variables, including cardiac output, mean arterial blood pressure, right ventricular pressure and pulmonary arterial pressure, and right ventricular segment shortening (sonomicrometry) were measured. First, animals received 2.0, 3.0 or 4.0% sevoflurane for 20 min each, respectively, during two-lung ventilation to measure the dose-dependent haemodynamic effects of sevoflurane. Then one-lung ventilation was performed with a randomized sequence of 0 (ZEEP), 5 and 10 cm H2O PEEP to the dependent lung under 2.0% sevoflurane anaesthesia after one-hour stabilization. A decrease in systolic segment shortening along with increases in both the end-diastolic and end-systolic lengths of the right ventricle were observed at 3.0 and 4.0% sevoflurane, while global right ventricular function remained substantially unchanged during two-lung ventilation. During one-lung ventilation the PaO2 was greater with 5 cm H2O PEEP 198 mmHg (+/- 25 SEM) than with ZEEP 138 mmHg (+/- 22) or with 10 cm H2O PEEP 153 mmHg (+/- 23) (P < 0.05). No differences in haemodynamic variables or segment shortening between ZEEP and PEEPs during one-lung ventilation were observed. We conclude that although sevoflurane causes a dose-dependent depression of right ventricular function, sevoflurane anaesthesia can be safely applied to one-lung ventilation, and that 5 cm H2O PEEP to the dependent lung can improve arterial oxygenation without causing changes in right ventricular function.