BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare plasma cortisol concentration during anesthesia of children with congenital heart disease who received dexmedetomidine (DEX) with those who received etomidate (ETO).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We recruited 99 ASA physical status II–III pediatric patients scheduled for congenital heart disease (CHD) corrective surgery and divided into them into 3 groups. Group DEX received an infusion of DEX intravenously with a bolus dose of 0.5 µg·kg–1 within 10 min during anesthesia induction, followed by a maintenance dose of DEX 0.5 µg·kg–1·h–1. Group ETO received ETO intravenously with a bolus dose of 0.3 mg·kg–1 without a maintenance dose. Group CON received routine anesthetics as controls. The preset timepoints were: before anesthesia induction (T0), at the end of induction (T1), 30 min after anesthesia induction (T2), at the time of aortic and inferior vena catheterization (T3), and at 180 min (T4) and 24 h (T5) after anesthesia induction.

RESULTS: The cortisol concentration decreased gradually after anesthesia induction in all groups, and returned to baseline values after 24 h. The cortisol concentration was significantly lower in Group ETO children than in Group DEX or group CON at T4.

CONCLUSIONS: The plasma concentrations of cortisol decreased in CHD children after the operation, but returned to baseline after 24 h of anesthesia induction. The adrenal cortex function inhibition induced by ETO in CHD children is longer and more serious than that induced by DEX (if any) during the preoperative period.

Keywords: Analysis of Variance, Adrenal Cortex - drug effects, Anesthetics, Intravenous - pharmacology, Dexmedetomidine - pharmacology, Etomidate - pharmacology, Heart Defects, Congenital - metabolism, Hydrocortisone - blood, Luminescence, Time Factors