A comparative study between propofol and thiopentone for hemodynamic parameters during induction of general anesthesia in surgical patients

Hemodynamic stability is very much important during induction of general anesthesia. So, this study was planned to compare hemodynamic parameters during induction by thiopentone and propofol. This prospective study was conducted after approval from institutional ethics committee in non-hypertensive patients of ASA grade I and II aged between 18-60 yrs of either sex, admitted for different surgical procedure. The patients were randomized into group P (propofol) and group T (thiopentone). Heart rate, both systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were recorded during induction and at 1 minutes, 2 minutes, 3 minutes and 4 minutes interval after intubation. Thirty patients in each group were included during study period. After induction, there was fall in both mean SBP and DBP after an increase during intubation which was more in group T (p˂0.05). The statistically significant difference was observed only at 1min between two groups for SBP (P value 0.05). There was rise in heart rate during intubation in both the groups, thereafter heart rate started decreasing. The fall was similar in both the group at any given point of observation (P value > 0.05). Both propofol and thiopentone alter the blood pressure and heart rate during induction in surgical patients which are more pronounced in thiopentone but these changes return close to baseline value earlier in case of propofol. So, propofol could be the preferred inducing agent in hemodynamically unstable patients.