A case of bradycardia is reported which was precipitated by cold normal saline applied to the eye during general anaesthesia. The history and physiology of the diving reflex is discussed and we believe that these data suggest that this patient's bradycardia was induced by the diving reflex, and not by the oculocardiac reflex.

purpose: oculocardiac reflex (ocr) is a frequent event during strabismus surgery. the aim of this study is to compare the preventive effect of intravenous lidocaine and hyoscine on ocr.methods: this prospective, randomized clinical trial was performed on 75 patients (5-63 years old) underwent strabismus surgery. patients divided randomly into three groups. intravenous hyoscine (0.2 mg/kg), lido...

Introduction: Dentocardiac reflex, a variant of trigeminocardiac reflex elicited specifically during tooth extraction procedures in dental/maxillofacial surgery and is believed to cause syncope with an afferent link mediated by posterior superior alveolar nerve. Another variant of trigeminocardiac reflex which is also of interest to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon is oculocardiac reflex whic...

A case is reported of bradycardia and sinus arrest induced by insertion of a nasal temperature probe. Other possible causes of bradycardia and sinus arrest under anaesthesia are reviewed briefly. Evidence for the neurological basis of a nasocardiac reflex, similar to the oculocardiac reflex, is presented. A minor, trivial stimulus may elicit this reflex.

During operations for squint nodal rhythm and other more serious arrhythmias such as heart block and multifocal ventricular extrasystoles, as well as the oculocardiac reflex, are shown to occur more frequently in patients with brown or hazel eyes than in patients with blue or grey eyes.