Effects of Intrathecal Administration of Epinephrine on Cardiac Rhythm in Dogs Anesthetized with Cyclopropane

Abstract

Summary and Conclusions

Epinephrine was administered intrathecally to 5 dogs anesthetized with cyclopropane. The characteristic changes which occur after intravenous epinephrine is given did not occur. At the end of one hour epinephrine was still present in sufficient quantities in the spinal fluid to cause disturbances in cardiac rhythm when the spinal fluid was withdrawn and given intravenously. Presumably the passage of epinephrine from the intrathecal space into the blood stream does not occur or occurs so slowly that it is of little consequence in dogs anesthetized with cyclopropane. The same is not true if epinephrine is given intravenously or into the interspinous tissues.