Final answer:
Volatile anesthetics like isoflurane may decrease heart rate, sevoflurane has minimal effects, and desflurane can increase heart rate. They are administered through an anesthetic machine and have largely replaced older, more flammable anesthetics for safety reasons. The interplay with other drugs can modify their effects on heart rate and blood pressure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effect of volatile anesthetics on heart rate varies depending on the specific agent being used. Isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane are the most widely used volatile anesthetics in practice today. These agents can influence heart rate and blood pressure during anesthesia. Isoflurane tends to moderately reduce myocardial contractility and can cause a slight drop in heart rate, while sevoflurane is less likely to decrease heart rate and may have minimal effects. Desflurane can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and may result in tachycardia, or an increase in heart rate. It's also noteworthy to mention that volatile anesthetics combined with other medications, such as adrenaline or ß-blockers, can have synergistic or inhibitory effects on heart rate and blood pressure.
General anesthetics, which include volatile anesthetics, are administered to patients via inhalation using an anesthetic machine. This machine allows for the composition of a mixture of oxygen, anesthetics, and ambient air, delivering it to the patient and monitoring their parameters. Despite their widespread use, the safety of inhalational anesthetic substances for operating room personnel has been debated, particularly with compounds like halothane, which have been linked to higher rates of miscarriage among female operating room workers. Therefore, safer and less flammable ethers such as isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane have largely replaced older ethers like diethyl ether in modern anesthetic practice.