The effect of esketamine combined with propofol-induced general anesthesia on cerebral blood flow velocity: a randomized clinical trial

Esketamine is increasingly used in clinical anesthesia. The effect of esketamine on the blood flow velocity of the middle cerebral artery has a clinical guiding effect. To investigate the effect of esketamine combined with propofol-induced general anesthesia for endotracheal intubation on the blood flow velocity of middle cerebral artery and hemodynamics during the induction period.

The randomized clinical trial included 80 patients aged 20-65 years who would undergo non-intracranial elective surgery under general anesthesia in our hospital from May 2022 to May 2023. The participants were divided into two groups based on anesthesia drugs: sufentanil 0.5μg/kg (group C) or 1.5mg/kg esketamine (group E). The primary outcome was variation value in average cerebral blood velocity. The secondary outcomes included cerebral blood flow velocities (CBFV), blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) at four different time points: before induction of general anesthesia (T₀), 1 min after the induction drug injected (T₁), before endotracheal intubation (T₂), and 1min after endotracheal intubation (T₃). The occurrence of hypotension, hypertension, tearing and choking during induction was also documented.

The variation of average CBFV from time T₀ to T₂(ΔV_m1) and the variation from time T₃ to T₀ (ΔV_m2) were not obviously different. The median consumption of intraoperative sufentanil in group C was obviously lower than that in group E. At T₁, the mean HR of group E was significantly higher than that of group C. At T₂ and T₃, the BP and HR of group E were obviously higher than that of group C. At T₂, the CBFV in the group E were obviously higher than those in the group C. The incidence of hypotension was significantly reduced in the group E compared with the group C. There were no differences in the other outcomes.

The induction of esketamine combined with propofol does not increase the blood flow velocity of middle cerebral artery. Esketamine is advantageous in maintaining hemodynamic stability during induction. Furthermore, the administration of esketamine did not result in an increased incidence of adverse effects.

15/06/2023 clinicaltrials.gov ChiCTR2300072518 https://​www.​chictr.​org.​cn/​bin/​project/​edit?​pid=​176675.