Effects of sevoflurane anesthesia on serum levels of myoglobin and CPK in anesthetized children: A comparison with halothane

We have compared the effects of sevoflurane and halothane on serum myoglobin (Mb) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in anesthetized children. The subjects of the study were children (ASA physical status I, 2 years 11 months to 11 years of age) scheduled for minor surgical procedure under general anesthesia. They were divided into three groups; two groups were injected with 1 mg/kg of succinylcholine chloride (SCC) to facilitate tracheal intubation and maintained with sevoflurane, nitrous oxide and oxygen (Group SS, n = 10), or maintained with halothane, nitrous oxide and oxygen (Group SH, n = 12), and the last group was injected with 0.1 mg/kg of pancuronium bromide and maintained with halothane, nitrous oxide and oxygen (Group PH, n = 10). Blood samples were drawn before and 5, 20, 60 min after the injection of the muscle relaxants. Serum myoglobin value was analyzed by the antibody radioimmunoassay technique. While the Mb value increased markedly in the two SCC injected groups, the increase was significantly less in the Group SS (60 min value 454 ± 306 ng/ml) than in the group SH (2192 ± 2217 ng/ml), and the magnitude of the increase in the Group SS was one fifth of the latter group. The CPK value increased only in the Group SH to 174.1 ± 114.1 IU/l at 60 min. In the Group PH, neither Mb nor CPK values increased. These results indicate that the release of Mb and CPK from the muscle cells into the blood during sevoflurane anesthesia is less than that of halothane. The results suggest that sevoflurane offers an advantage for anesthesia of children.