Table 2.
Impacts of common sedatives and general anaesthetics on heart rate, arterial pressure and ventilation. Modified from Butterworth et al.29
| Agent | Heart rate | Arterial pressure | Ventilation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diazepam | = + * | − | − − |
| Midazolam | + * | − − | − − |
| Propofol | = | − − | − − − |
| Ketamine | + + | + + | = − |
| Fentanyl | − − | = − | − − − |
| Nitrous oxide | = | = | = |
| Desflurane | = + | − − | − − |
| Sevoflurane | = | − | − |
‘*’ Increase due to reflex response to decreased arterial pressure. ‘+’ indicates an increase. ‘−’ indicates a decrease. ‘=’ indicates no change.