PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Fujii, Koichi
AU  - Yamaguchi, Shigeki
AU  - Egawa, Hirotoshi
AU  - Hamaguchi, Shinsuke
AU  - Kitajima, Toshimitsu
AU  - Minami, Junichi
TI  - Effects of Head-up Tilt After Stellate Ganglion Block on QT Interval and QT Dispersion
AID  - 10.1016/j.rapm.2004.03.009
DP  - 2004 Jul 01
TA  - Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine
PG  - 317--322
VI  - 29
IP  - 4
4099  - http://rapm.bmj.com/content/29/4/317.short
4100  - http://rapm.bmj.com/content/29/4/317.full
SO  - Reg Anesth Pain Med2004 Jul 01; 29
AB  - Background and Objectives The aim of this study is to examine the effects of head-up tilt (70°) 30 minutes after right or left stellate ganglion block (SGB) on RR interval, QT interval, the rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval, QT dispersion (QTD), and the rate-corrected QT dispersion (QTcD) using computerized measurement.Methods Ten healthy volunteers underwent both right and left SGBs using 7 mL 1% mepivacaine with a 7-day interval between the two blocks. A 12-lead electrocardiogram was monitored to measure parameters before SGB; 30 minutes after SGB (before head-up tilt); and immediately, 5, 10, and 15 minutes after head-up tilt.Results Right SGB induced significant increases in QT interval, QTc interval, QTD, and QTcD from 30 minutes after the block through 15 minutes after head-up tilt. There were significant increases of QT interval, QTc interval, and QTcD between before and immediately after head-up tilt in right SGB. Left SGB induced significant decreases of QT interval and QTc interval from 30 minutes after SGB through 15 minutes after head-up tilt. Left SGB also induced a significant decrease of QTD from immediately after through 10 minutes after head-up tilt.Conclusions Significant increases of QT interval, QTc interval, and QTcD, which are associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac events, occur immediately after head-up tilt in right SGB. However, head-up tilt does not induce increases of QT interval, QTc interval, QTD, and QTcD in left SGB.