Physiology 19 Flashcards
What preoperative factors can contribute to the stress response to surgery?
- Personality
- Preoperative mental state
- Dehydration
- Partial starvation
Define the stress response
The combination of hormonal, inflammatory, metabolic and psychological changes which occur in response to trauma or surgery
What perioperative factors can contribute to the stress response to surgery?
- Haemorrhage
- Hypothermia
- Pain
What postoperative factors can contribute to the stress response to surgery?
- Pain
- Immobilisation
- Hypoxia
- Alterations in diurnal rhythm
Outline the pituitary response to stress
Increased anterior pituitary secretion of:
- ACTH
- GH
- β endorphin
- Prolactin
Increased posterior pituitary secretion of:
-ADH (vasopressin)
TSH, LH and FSH may be increased or decreased
What are the key endocrine organs involved in the response to stress?
Pituitary Adrenals Pancreas Kidneys Thyroid Gonads
Outline the adrenal response to stress
Increased:
- Catecholamines
- Cortisol
- Aldosterone
Outline the pancreatic response to stress
Increased:
-Glucagon
Decreased:
-Insulin
Outline the renal response to stress
Increased renin production
Outline the gonadal response to stress
Decreased:
- Testosterone
- Oestrogen
Outline the thyroid’s response to stress
Decreased:
-Tri-iodothyronine
What is the main cytokine associated with the surgical stress response?
What its profile following insult?
IL-6
Levels rise 2-4h after start of surgery and peak between 12-24h.
Amplitude of peak reflects severity of tissue damage
How does IL-6 affect the systemic response to stress?
IL-6 (and IL-1) have been shown to stimulate pituitary secretion and thus the stress response.
Cortisol release has a negative feedback effect on cytokine gene expression
What are the acute phase proteins associated with the stress response?
What is the effect of this production?
Fibrinogen CRP Complement Amyloid P Amyloid A Caeruloplasmin
This results in reduced production of other proteins eg. albumin + transferrin
This results in a reduction in circulating cations eg. Zn, Fe
What are the psychological and behavioural responses associated with surgery?
Anxiety/depression
-Usually brief and self-limiting
Fatigue/malaise
-May last several months
What is known about the physiology of postoperative fatigue?
Little
- Poorly defined/measured
- Not inevitable after major surgery
- Unknown cause and no known treatments
What is known about the psychology of postoperative fatigue?
- May be component of motivational response. For example joint arthroplasty has low rates of post-op fatigue, possibly due to the positive intended effects of surgery whereas abdominal surgery is rarely life-enhancing and has high rates.
- Preoperative fatigue may predict postoperative fatigue
- Association between anxiety/depression and postop fatigue
What surgical/anaesthetic perioperative factors may affect stress response?
- Choice of induction agents
- Volatile agents
- High-dose opioid anaesthesia
- Regional
- NSAIDs
- Minimal access surgery
How does etomidate affect the stress response?
- Inhibits adrenal steroidogenesis
- Acts on mitochondrial 11β-hydroxylase step and 17α-cholesterol cleavage part of the biosynthetic pathway
- May inhibit cortisol and aldosterone porduction for up to 8h post single induction dose
How may benzodiazepines given at induction affect the stress response to surgery?
Diazepam and midazolam inhibit cortisol production in vitro and midazolam has demonstrated this effect in human surgical studies and may have a direct effect on ACTH secretion
What effect do volatile anaesthetic agents have on the stress response to surgery?
Unlikely to have a significant effect on HPA axis - from studies mainly on halothane
What effect does high-dose opioid have on the stress response to surgery?
- Inhibition of HPA axis mediated via the hypothalamus
- Fentanyl 50mcg/kg abolishes cortisol response in pelvic surgery, 100mcg/kg in upper abdo surgery