The Heart Rate Response to Atropine in Uremic Patients, Obese Subjects Before and During Fasting, and Patients with Other Chronic Illnesses

Abstract

SummaryAtropine sensitivity was tested in uremic patients by measuring the heart rate response to four 0.24 mg doses given intravenously at 3-min intervals following a control period. Four groups were studied: 7 healthy volunteers, 8 obese patients before and during starvation, 8 uremics, and 7 chronically ill nonuremic patients. The uremic patients had a flat dose-response curve. Their lack of bradycardia following low dosage and decreased acceleration following large dosage suggest that either vagal function is impaired or that their pacemaker cells have decreased sensitivity to acetylcholine.