Definition Venous air embolism (VAE) is defined as entrainment of air in the venous circulation during any surgical procedure that may produce systemic effects. Historically, VAE was reported as early as 1667 when death was reported in animals following air…
Definition The trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) is a reproducible brain stem reflex originating as a result of stimulation of the trigeminal nerve (anywhere along its course) and manifests as a sudden development of cardiac dysrhythmia up to asystole, arterial hypotension, apnea,…
Definition Postoperative delirium (POD) is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV as an acute onset fluctuating change in mental status characterized by a reduced awareness of the environment and disturbance of attention. Frequently complicating the…
Postoperative vision loss (POVL) is defined as partial or complete loss of vision following nonophthalmic procedures. Though rare, when it occurs it is a devastating complication. The incidence of visual loss postoperatively has been reported as 0.002–0.2%. POVL is found…
Position-related complications are very common mishaps that are usually preventable. Neurosurgery encompasses different surgeries in a varied number of positions for easy surgical accessibility that pose a wide range of problems to both the anesthetic and surgical teams. Positioning surgical…
Oxygenation to the cerebrum carries the utmost priority above other organs of the body. Neuroanesthesia is mostly about maintaining the rheology and cerebral or spinal perfusion in order to maintain the milieu. Pharmacological complications due to the perioperative use of…
Various positions are used in neurosurgery, including supine, lateral, prone, and sitting as well as many modifications of these positions. If positioning is not performed properly, position-related nerve injuries can occur more commonly in neurosurgery than in other surgeries as…
Definition Nausea is defined as a subjective feeling of unpleasant sensation of urge to vomit. Vomiting is defined as dynamic expulsion of stomach contents from the mouth. Variants Retching is defined as strenuous, spasmodic, and periodic contractions of the respiratory…
Hypothermia is characterized by fall of at least 1 °C below normal core temperature. This becomes clinically relevant when the core temperature starts to fall below 36 °C. This usually occurs either with a decrease in heat production, an increase…
Physiologic monitors are tools that enable the “vigilance” described in the motto of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and guide the patient “safety” ( securitas ) in the motto of the Association of the Anesthetists of Great Britain and…