ICP during anaesthesia with sevoflurane: a dose-response study. Effect of hypocapnia.

In patients with a supratentorial cerebral tumor, an increase in sevoflurane concentration from 1.5% (0.7 MAC) to 2.5% (1.3 MAC) did not change the intracranial pressure (ICP) significantly (12 to 14 mm Hg (medians)). However, a significant increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) from 29 to 39 ml/100 g/min (medians) was disclosed. During administration of sevoflurane 1.5% and 2.5%, a significant decrease in ICP (3.5 and 3.0 mm Hg (median) respectively) was found when PaCO2 was decreased by 0.8 kPa.