Isoflurane During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

There is no clinical way of assessing patients' depth of anaesthesia on the heart-lung machine. For this reason, the amount of volatile anaesthetic agent like isoflurane, that is administered has traditionally been determined by anaesthetists' clinical experience. Recently, a device that assesses depth of anaesthesia by analysing the electrical brain waves called the Bispectral index (BIS) has been introduced. The study aims to determine whether the level of anaesthesia produced by isoflurane using the traditional approach is more than required simply to maintain unconsciousness according to BIS. In addition, the study will determine whether the concentration of isoflurane in exhaust gases from the heart-lung machine can be used as an estimate arterial blood concentration and so, depth of anaesthesia.

The study will recruit patients who are scheduled for heart surgery using a heart-lung machine. Patients will be anaesthetised using a long established balanced technique including the administration of isoflurane 2.5% whilst supported on the heart-lung machine. Measurements of exhaust gas concentration of isoflurane from the heart-lung machine and level of BIS will be recorded at three time points. Simultaneously, three arterial blood samples will be taken and the isoflurane concentration measured in these samples. The BIS levels will be averaged and the proportion of patients with a BIS below 40 (lower limit of normal) will be calculated. Concentrations of isoflurane in the exhaust gas of the heart-lung machine will be compared with blood concentrations of isoflurane and the both concentrations will be compared with the level of BIS to establish whether they can be used to assess depth of anaesthesia.

If this study finds that a large proportion of patients have more than adequate levels of anaesthesia, then future studies could explore whether administering lower concentrations of isoflurane improves outcome whilst maintaining anaesthesia.

Inclusion criteria

• Participants over the age of 18
• Scheduled for elective cardiac surgery under the care of trial anaesthetists
• Patient has provided informed consent to participate

Exclusion criteria

• Patients presenting for emergency cardiac surgery
• Patients who will have cardiac surgery that does not require cardiopulmonary bypass
• Unwilling/unable to provide informed consent
• Patients under the age of 18
• Anaesthesia undertaken by anaesthetists not involved in trial