Isoflurane Has a Greater Margin of Safety than Halothane in Swine with and without Major Surgery or Critical Coronary Stenosis

The fatal/anesthetic ratio (FAR) in 44 swine weighing 32.6 ± 0.7 kg (SEM) was determined. Fatal anesthetic concentration (the numerator for FAR) was defined as the endtidal concentration at which the pig lived at least 10 min, during experiments that involved step increments in anesthetic concentrations. Previously reported MAC was used as the “anesthetic” concentration (denominator) to determine FAR. Halothane was compared to isoflurane and the question of whether major surgery might reduce FAR was investigated. The major surgery groups included one open chest group with each volatile anesthetic studied during coronary reserve measurements, and two groups that had LAD critical coronary stenoses. Thus volatile agents were compared with vs without major surgery, and with vs without a critical coronary stenosis. The FAR for isoflurane was approximately double that of halothane. Further, addition of major surgery did not produce significant deterioration in FAR with isoflurane. In contrast, with halothane there was a significant (approximately 20%) decrease in FAR, despite values already only half that seen with isoflurane, when major surgery was added. Presence of a critical coronary stenosis was not associated with a worsened FAR for isoflurane or halothane. It was concluded that the fatal/anesthetic ratio for isoflurane in pigs is 1.9 times greater than that for halothane. Addition of major surgery did not affect FAR when isoflurane was the anesthetic but did when halothane was used. Critical coronary stenosis did not worsen FAR. Because these results are nearly identical with those reported previously in small mammals, the doubled safety margin seen with isoflurane may have clinical relevance.