BACKGROUND: A poincare plot of the heart rate variability (HRV) allows for the quantitative display of the vagal tone in conscious humans. However, relatively little is known about standard deviation 1 (SD1) from the poincare plot reflecting the vagal tone and correlating with the high frequency (HF) spectral power of the HRV during general anesthesia. Thus, the association of SD1 from the poincare plot was examined, along with the HF spectral power of the HRV during general anesthesia.

METHODS: Beat-to-beat electrocardiograms were recorded for 5 min in 23 patients (isoflurane group, n = 13; sevoflurane group, n = 10) before, during and after general anesthesia. The low frequency (LF) and HF spectral powers, the LF/HF ratio of the HRV and the SD1 and standard deviation 2 (SD2) from the poincare plot were calculated.

RESULTS: Both the HF spectral power of the HRV and SD1 from the poincare plot were reduced following general anesthesia, but recovered thereafter. The recovery of both the HF spectral power and SD1 from the poincare plot in the sevoflurane group was faster than those in the isoflurane group. There were strong correlations between the HF spectral power and SD1 before, during and after anesthesia.

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the SD1 from the poincare plot is a useful and valid parameter for analysis of the vagal tone during general anesthesia.