The circulatory effects of
anileridine, a derivative of
pethidine, have been little studied. Therefore we compared the haemodynamic effects of equianalgesic doses of
pethidine (1 mg/kg i.v.) and
anileridine (0.25 mg/kg) in matched patients requiring
myocardial revascularization. Cardiac output was significantly increased 5 min after the administration of
pethidine, mainly due to an increase in heart rate. A transient rise in the systolic pulmonary-arterial pressure was found after
anileridine. No remarkable changes were found in systemic arterial pressures, central venous pressure, balloon-occluded pulmonary-arterial pressure, stoke volume, systemic or pulmonary vascular resistances and derived oxygen consumption. Further, 20 min after
drug administration, there were no significant differences in any circulatory parameters between the two groups. One patient developed acute
cardiac failure after
anileridine, though as he had very severe
coronary heart disease it remains an open question whether this was spontaneous or
drug-induced. Since the rate-pressure product tended to increase after
pethidine, this
drug may not be considered an ideal
analgesic for patients with ischaemic
heart disease.
Anileridine had less influence on this variable. Since the circulatory effects of
pethidine seem to depend on the haemodynamic status of the patient, the haemodynamic properties of
anileridine may also deserve further investigation.