[Adrenaline, noradrenaline and 11-hydroxycorticosteroid during operatory stress of surgeons and after administration of oxprenolol (author's transl)].

Urinary levels of free adrenaline, noradrenaline and 11-hydroxycorticosteroid were measured in 30 surgeons while they operated, to test the hypothesis that sympathetic and adrenocortical systems are overactivated by occupational environment of surgery procedures. They were divided in two groups according to a crossover design in which the surgeons had taken alternatively an oral dose of 40 mg oxprenolol and placebo. During operations with placebo urinary free adrenaline, noradrenaline and 11-hydroxycorticosteroid rose significantly compared with the control values obtained during ward-round performed by the same surgeons. The increase of adrenaline, noradrenaline and 11-hydroxycorticosteroid was abolished by 40 mg of oxprenolol which contained their urinary concentration to the control values. These data support the concept that operating stress of surgeons influences the adrenosympathetic and adrenocortical systems and they indicate a possible role of beta-blocking drugs in minimizing the adverse reactions of a such hormonal overactivity.