The commonly encountered cardiovascular effects of intravenous indigo carmine administration is transient alpha-receptor stimulation, namely increased total peripheral resistance, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, and central venous pressure with decreased cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate. These usually cause no problems and frequently go undetected unless the patient is monitored closely during that brief interval. However, significant problems occur occasionally and its use is not totally without risks.

While the design and manfacture of plastic tubes have been greatly improved in recent years, spiral-metal-bound latex tubes are still subject to a number of hazards, among them herniation of the intramural cuff-inflating tube into the lumen of the anode tube, preventing entry or exit of gases through the anode tube after cuff inflation. Problems may also occur at the bevel and at juctions. Until better-designed anode tubes are available, extra care is required in their use.

No abstract