Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation of general, epidural or spinal anesthesia on fluctuations of the perioperative cortisol concentrations.
Material and methods: Seventy five (75)--ASA physical status I, II--patients who were scheduled to undergo a medium severity surgery with general, spinal and epidural anesthesia, were enrolled in this study. These patients were divided in three groups. Twenty five (25) of these patients where received general anesthesia (group G) , twenty five (25) of these patients where received spinal anesthesia (group R) and twenty five (25) of these patients where received epidural anaesthesia (group Ep). Five blood samples were collected from each patient at intervals: A) 1h preoperative, B) immediately after the introduction in anesthesia and the intubation for group G, after the process of spinal anesthesia completion for group S and after the process of epidural anesthesia completion for group E, C) at the end of the surgery, D) 8h, and E) 24h after the operation. The quantitative determination of cortisol that was possible with the electro- chemiluminescence immunoassay method, detected the fluctuation of perioperative cortisol concentrations.
Results: The cortisol levels (μg/dl) of group G were: A) 18.7056, B)18.8272, C)22.1384, D)25.232, E)19.4344. The cortisol levels (μg/dl) of group Ep were: A)28.8132, B)22.6876, C)23.002, D)21.92, E)16.36. The cortisol levels (μg/dl) of group R were: A)19.1688, B)16.0988, C)15.5656, D)18.5992, E)20.35.
Conclusions: In conclusion we found that there is correlation between the type of anaesthesia and the fluctuation of perioperative cortisol levels. We would like to point out the fact that there is statistically significant correlation between the age and the preoperative value of cortizol concentration (Stage A) in the blood serum of the patients who participated in this study.