Effects of coronary bypass surgery under high-dose fentanyl anaesthesia on granulocyte chemiluminescence.

Phagocytosis provides one of the body's first-line defences against invading bacteria. The present study evaluated granulocyte microbicidal-related oxidative mechanisms by measurement of chemiluminescence responses in the phagocytosis of zymosan, S. aureus, E. coli and N-formyl-methionyl-leucylphenylalanine (FMLP) in 12 patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery under high-dose fentanyl anaesthesia. With preoperative values as a baseline, a significant depression of in vitro responses to zymosan was seen on days 1, 3-4 after operation and to S. aureus and E. coli on days 3-4 after operation, with recovery by days 6-7. Responses to FMLP were unaffected.