Continuous versus bolus norepinephrine administration and arterial blood pressure stability during induction of general anaesthesia in high-risk noncardiac surgery patients: a randomised trial.

BACKGROUND

Hypotension after induction of general anaesthesia is common in high-risk patients having noncardiac surgery. Anaesthesiologists often give manual boluses of vasopressors repeatedly to maintain blood pressure during induction of general anaesthesia, including the fast-acting vasopressor norepinephrine which has a short half-life. We tested the hypothesis that giving norepinephrine continuously during induction of general anaesthesia, compared with giving it as repeated manual boluses, improves blood pressure stability in high-risk noncardiac surgery patients.

METHODS

In this single-centre trial, 72 participants undergoing noncardiac surgery were randomised to continuous norepinephrine infusion or manual bolus norepinephrine administration during induction of general anaesthesia. Blood pressure was monitored continuously with an arterial catheter. The primary endpoint was blood pressure stability, quantified as the generalised average real variability of mean arterial pressure within 15 min after starting induction of general anaesthesia.

RESULTS

A total of 71 participants completed the study (mean [range] age: 66 [47-86] y; 48% female). The mean (standard deviation) generalised average real variability of mean arterial pressure was 19 (6) mm Hg min-1 in 36 participants assigned to continuous norepinephrine infusion, compared with 25 (7) mm Hg min-1 in 35 participants assigned to manual bolus norepinephrine administration (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Giving norepinephrine continuously during induction of general anaesthesia, compared with giving it as repeated manual boluses, improved blood pressure stability in higher-risk individuals undergoing noncardiac surgery.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05997303.